© by Ayame 2003, 2004...all rights reserved, etc. Notes: All characters in this story are of the age of consent for their countries, cultures and respective planets. No aliens were hurt in the making of this story.
Kyo O'Connor was a young man, just turned 18 by Earth reckoning. (He'd celibrated his birthday mostly alone: another sad affair.) He was a good-looking person, although considered fairly short for a human. His skin was light, but tinged a golden olive. It would probably tan well, but he spent most of his time on his starship. He had a smattering of freckles over his nose and cheeks. His eyes were tiltled, narrow and were almost black. His hair was jet black and reached his shoulders in an uneven cut.
He was an explorer, and though he was a young man, he was already a veteran of space travel. His adventures had taken him many light years from Earth. His parents and himself were the only humans he knew of living outside the solar system. It was really an accomplishment.
Although,
at first, it had been merely an escape from the life he was
stuck in. He was an experiment, and was one of the first to
be mostly successful. The YEI corporation was trying to breed
humans that were able to carry a gene that contained knowledge.
They were also trying to breed super-intelligence. Kyo had not
been born super-intelligent, although he had an uncanny knack
with most machines and electronics. (One of his instructors
said he was a bit of a savant in that regard, but Kyo was sure
it hadn't been meant as a compliment.) Even though Kyo wasn't
the genius they'd hoped for, he did carry a vast amount of Earth's
knowledge in his mind. He could access the information at will.
It was like having a library in his brain. It often came in
very useful.
But right now, aside from helping him kill time, his knowledge
base was useless. He was stuck alone in an alien quarantine
cell. At first the room was merely confining. It was tiny and
round. The walls, which were not at right angles, were semi-iridescent
and flecked with silver. They resembled frozen ice and packed
snow. They had a faint blue cast to them that reminded Kyo of
water.
Kyo was used to confining spaces, but this was a little too
much. He could only take about 3 steps in any direction before
his feet met the white walls. He wondered why a people as large
as the Seelothin would create such small quarantine chambers.
He
had been left with only a small electronic "book"
that described the people of Seelothin, the Seelies, and their
vast empire. It was written in Selvan, which Kyo had informed
them he was fluent in. He'd read the book several times over,
and watched the pictures of the six legged predators doing a
variety of things. They were a beautiful species, with a lot
of natural grace. Their fur looked soft, and was, Kyo remembered
from when they'd taken initial blood samples from him. One of
the strangest things was that they were a hermaphrodictic species,
having only one gender. According to the electronic book, the
larger of a bonded pair usually was the "mother" and
the smaller one, the "father." There wasn't much written
about their sexuality beyond that, and Kyo imagined sex may
be a taboo topic.
Besides looking at the book, Kyo had nothing else to do. Since
he had an eidedic memory, it was pointless to keep reading the
book over and over again. So his mind wandered. His backpack,
containing extra clothes, a notebook, sketch pad, translator
and com-link to Bastian had been taken from him. The com-link
was especially missed--Kyo had never felt so alone before. True,
he was traveling alone. His parents now lived at the Selvan
outpost. Kyo had forged ahead, exploring. But he never really
felt too alone, because of the ship's computer, Bastian. Kyo
had programmed "him" to have a personality. Bastian
kept him company, but now he was utterly alone.
These thoughts led to other thoughts about lonliness: how Kyo hadn't been touched in years--not since the hug his mother had given him when they'd parted. Kyo had chosen to travel to this part of the galaxy partly because the Selvans claimed there were many humanoid aliens in this sector. Kyo hadn't seen any yet, but he was hopeful. If they were humanoid, perhaps they would have similiar sexual feelings and Kyo would finally be able to explore that part of his life, too.
His only notions of sexualty came from holo-projected strip-teases that Bastian and he played around with. He enjoyed Bastian's versions of women slowly undressing, pulling apart complicated straps and their long, impossible legs. More often, though since Bastian thought of himself as male, Bastian presented a male image, less complicated and just as arousing to Kyo.
But
none of that was real. He wanted to touch and be touched. He
was terribly lonely.
His quarantine was already into its tenth day when Kyo thought
he could take no more. He hadn't showered in ten days and he
had nothing to occupy his mind. He stood up and pounded on the
part of the wall that had once had a round seam that made a
door. It was solid glitter-white now, but Kyo threw himself
against the wall again and again. Eventually he gave up and
curled up on the floor of the cell, his long black hair covering
his face, his body a compact ball.
Nothing happened until later that day.
The door didn't open, but instead the wall seemed to shiver
and became transparent. Two Seelie was standing outside. Both
were gesturing wildly. He saw their mouths move, but couldn't
hear the sound.
Kyo watched them, fascinated. He had only observed the Seelie
once, in his initial contact with the world and while he was
prepared for quarantine. The langauge was difficult. He knew
he was missing parts of the translations. An understanding had
been reached, however, and Kyo was to spend time here before
he could visit. He had considered that fair at the time. They
seemed a reasonable and friendly people. He'd been in quarantines
before, but never for so long.
Watching them, he was struck again by their sheer size: they
were larger than any intelligent species he'd encountered during
his travels. They were long: sinuous and stocky at the same
time. The snake-like movement of their bodies seemed to come
from the fact that they had three pairs of limbs. They could
walk on all six, but usually held themselves up like a praying
mantis or a centaur. The first two limbs were arm-like and Kyo
watched their long fingers and hands gesture quickly in a series
of fluttery movements. Kyo could only read frustration in those
gestures. He wondered if he was reading correctly. The faces
were difficult to pick up emotions from. They had large, cat-like
heads with black eyes. There were no apparant pupils, and so
it was hard to tell what each individual was looking at. The
noses were small, especially compared to the large, toothy mouths.
They had no external ears, or perhaps the ears were hidden completely
by the shaggy pelt of fur.
The two he was watching were of different colors. One was a light gray, flecked with white spots that gradually tapered into a white chest and belly. The other was a bright, silvery white, nearly blending into the white of the quarantine area. The black of the eyes and the nose stood out strongly in both, like ink-spots on a blank sheet of paper. Kyo kept wondering if they were looking at him. Was the door transparant so that he could see them, or for them to observe him? He felt the latter was most likely.
Finally,
the gray one dropped to all six legs and walked away while the
white Seelie approached the door. Kyo watched as "he"
approached the transparent wall. He tilted his head and seemed
to meet Kyo's eyes. The lips were closed over the teeth, but
seemed to curl upwards at the end. He wondered if it was a smile.
A furry white hand that bore six fingers (two functioned as
thumbs) touched the wall. The hand stayed. The Seelie looked
at thim, Kyo was sure this time.
Kyo walked forward and pressed his own hand to the wall in the
spot where the white Seelie's hand was. His darker hand looked
like a child's against the Seelie's. He noticed black footpads
on the fingertips and palms. They reminded him of suede.
The
Seelie held his hand there for a long time, meeting Kyo's eyes.
Kyo didn't look away. He wasn't sure what was right to do, but
it felt right to hold the black eyes with his own. As he looked
into them, he saw gradations of black--the pupil was apparent
this close. The Seelie blinked, then removed his hand. He touched
the wall in a series of movements and while nothing discernable
happened, Kyo realized now that he could hear what was outside
his cell. He could smell, too, a new scent that had been allowed
to permeate the wall. It was vaguely like cinnamon.
He looked at the Seelie. "Why am I still here?" he
asked. He asked just to do something, say anything, even though
his translator had been confiscated along with all of his notes,
his com-link with Bastian (he must be going crazy with worry),
and his sketch book.
The Seelie shifted, the scent changed and became more metallic.
Kyo watched him turn around and look in the direction the gray
one had left in. He ducked his head at Kyo and then went that
way.
Kyo sat down. He was frustrated, smelly and angry. He wanted
out. He wanted a shower and he wanted to walk, to move, to be
free. He was anxious to explore a new world. He put his head
in his hands and just tried to blank out his mind. Frustration
was a difficult emotion, one he didn't like to deal with. Once
his head was clear, he looked back through the "window"
in the wall. He watched Seelies conduct various tasks in the
immediate area. They were all different colors, some even shades
of blue, which surprised Kyo. Then he saw what was unmistakably
a humanoid.
He'd heard from people at the last space station he'd visited that there were aliens that looked similiar to him living in other parts of the galaxy, but despite his wild hopes, Kyo hadn't really believed them. It seemed far-fetched that there would be that sort of convergent evolution, producing creatures that were built so similiarly. But here was one, and wearing clothes, too. It was bluish in color, with spines and bumps on its face and arms. Its face was nearly human, with two eyes, one mouth, one nose. The nose was long, almost forming a muzzle, but not enough to seem animal-like to Kyo. It blinked when it spotted Kyo in the cell, but seemed uninterested and turned back to its business with another Seelie.
As Kyo watched, he saw several other types of humanoids in the area. They appeared to be of different species, but Kyo didn't like to make assumptions when meeting new types of aliens. He knew assumptions had to be made just to have something to understand in an unfamiliar world--but he tried not to.
One of the things he'd learned when he'd first encountered Seelothin, was that it was the "capitol" of a rather large empire that controlled this area of space. He would be unable to go any further without a stop on this planet and an audience with the Emperor himself. Kyo was prepared for a world full of many species, visiting and working with the Empire. However, he'd never expected them to be so like himself.
In
the past, the people he'd encountered were very "alien"
for lack of a better word. They didn't look anything like him
or his family. They were truly strange and unique. He realized
his cell was built for humanoid people. It was far too small
for a Seelie and certainly wasn't designed for other species
Kyo had encountered.
He rested his head on his knees and kept watching. Finally,
he saw the gray and the white Seelie return. He watched their
body language, the white one held itself higher than the gray
one. The gray Seelie seemed to be following instructions, but
Kyo couldn't understand the growls and clicks they were using
to speak.
The gray one pressed his hand to the door and stroked it in
a series of gestures. A seam appeared in the door and widened
until there was an oval hole large enough for Kyo to step through.
Kyo didn't move. The gray one picked up something round and
black from the ground. It was Kyo's backpack. Awkwardly, he
stepped forward, handing Kyo the bag. He stepped back and made
a gesture, pantomiming opening the bag and taking something
out.
Kyo
worked the buttons on the bag that kept it shut. Kyo pushed
everything around inside the bag until he found his tiny com-link.
He keyed Bastian. "Hey, Bastian, I'm OK. How are things
up there?"
The
Seelies watched but did not interfere. A voice crackled over
the com, Bastian's familiar simulation of a human male's. "Kyo!
I was told you were fine. A fellow named Sukhe contacted me
and said that he was sorting things out for you. Are you staying
downside?"
Kyo looked at the two pairs of black eyes staring back at him. "For now. Thanks, Bastian."
"Eh? For what?"
"You know. Anyway, take care of the cats, OK? Don't forget to feed them--I know they're low on your list of priorities."
"Their fur gets everywhere, Kyo."
Kyo found himself smiling for the first time in days. "Just do it."
"Aye, aye," came the sarcastic reply. Kyo wished his computer had developed a less snarky personality, but he wouldn't interfere with Bastian's emotional development. He closed his connection to his ship and pocketed the com-link. Then he turned back to the backpack. The next thing he pulled out was his electric notebook, but the gray one clicked and made the pantomime again. Kyo found his translator, a small black object, at the bottom of the bag. He picked it up, his heart beating. Finally! He could communicate! The gray one pantomimed him turning on the device.
Kyo looked at the two of them, and then turned on his translator. It hummed to life in his palm and then he stood up and pocketed it. It worked just as well in his pocket as in his hand. He listened. The room was full of voices now, working through the filter of the translator. He had designed the translator to create a field around him, so that it seemed as if the voices were coming from the speaker of the words, not from the device. He heard small talk, chit-chat and inventories being added up. He looked at the two standing just outside his cell.
"May I come out now?"
The lips of the white one curled into what Kyo now thought of as a smile. He spoke, "Of course. It was my intention to release you."
Kyo was suddenly struck at the fluency of the translation. "What did you do to my translator?" He pulled it out of his pocket and looked at it. It didn't look different.
"We fixed it. You didn't have it set properly and it couldn't interface chemically. It can now. That's partly why you were in here so long." The white one reached out, extending a hand. "Come out of there."
Kyo was full of questions. "But how did you do that? Your smells--they're part of your language!" He looked again at the little black device. As he turned it over, he saw a smaller, almost black patch attatched to the underside. "Is this the chemical interface?"
"I'm sorry, neither one of us is an engineer, but I can arrange for you to speak with one later. The notes for the construction of it are now in your notebook, they said. Come out, please, there is much to show you." The white one's hand was still extended.
Kyo was excited about this new knowledge, but he pocketed the translator again, then buttoned his bag and slung it over one shoulder. He took the hand that was still stretched out to him, feeling silly and small. It seemed proper to complete the gesture though. He looked at the two of them. The gray one seemed angry, but didn't speak. Kyo saw his nose wrinkle and his eyes narrow, looking at the white one. The white one said, "You are dismissed, Quartermaster."
The gray Seelie ducked his head and stepped away. The white one turned his attention to Kyo and fixed him with a deeply penetrating gaze. Kyo felt like his entire body was being examined under those black eyes. Finally, he spoke, "My name is Sukhe. I'm going to give you a tour, explain about our people and make sure you have adequate quarters. I am furious you've been kept here so long, but the Emperor would not release you until we were all able to communicate properly. Our devices weren't working with your language, and so we modified yours."
Kyo adjusted the bag on his shoulder. "Well, I'm grateful to be out. I was pretty angry about being in there."
"Understandable, completely."
Kyo looked up at the Seelie. He felt so tiny compared to him. His chest met the top of the Seelie's back, and Sukhe was easily twice as long as he was. Kyo was small for a human, but his size had never seemed so different before. Sukhe looked down at him for a moment, and then said, "Come, I'll show you the city, unless you'd like to see your quarters, first." They started to walk side by side out of the quarantine area. The Seelie took deliberately small steps.
"No, I'd like to see the city, actually. I'm an explorer. That's why I came: I want to see new things, experience new experiences."
The Seelie cocked his head. "Really?" Then he looked forward again. Kyo had to scramble to keep up, as Sukhe's pace abrubtly quickened. "I need to tell you something."
Kyo
caught his breath, "Yes?"
Sukhe looked down at him again, and slowed his pace. They were
alone in a long series of white corridors. To Kyo, they were
enormous hallways, for Sukhe, they fit just right and seemed
merely utilitarian. The Seelie looked uncomfortable, his eyes
were half closed, his short, bob-tail was pressed flat to his
back side. Kyo hoped he was reading the body language correctly:
but it seemed prudent to read the Seelie as a predator. They
certainly looked it, and Kyo was familiar with the behavior
of cats and dogs.
"It's my fault you were in quarantine so long."
"What do you mean?"
Sukhe's eyes seemed to dart in both directions, a flash of white showing at the edges, and seeing no one coming down the cooridor, continued. "They wanted to keep you a secret from the Prince. The First Heir, the Prince of the Empire, has a duty to bond with the Prince of the Madjin Republic." He stopped. Kyo realized that he must look very puzzled.
"Ah, I am sorry to talk about politics. But you must understand how two governments can be brought together through a sexual bond or union."
Kyo brightened. "Well, yes. Only on Earth, it was usually a matter of marriage--a ceremony."
The Seelie cocked his head again. "Was sex involved?"
"After the ceremony."
"Ah, see, then you do understand. Good, I'm grateful."
Kyo leaned back against the wall. The Seelie was very close to him, and he felt he needed some space to think and understand what Sukhe was saying. "I'm still confused. How does bonding to another Seelie have anything to do with me?"
"It's not to another Seelie. It's to a Madjin--to the Madjin Republic." He caught Kyo's puzzled look. "They are like us, only short fur. Anyway, that's not the problem. The problem is that the prince has a perversion--well some people call it that. He's xenosexual."
"Xenosexual?" It was the first time Kyo had heard the word. Love of an alien, love of the 'other?' His mind worked through the word. The Seelie was close.
Sukhe continued. "Yes, he is attracted to humanoids. They knew that you would be particularly attractive to the prince, so you were kept for a while to decide what to do. They are afraid he will bond with an alien."
"I don't understand how this is your fault."
Sukhe reached forward to stroke Kyo's face with a huge, velvety finger. He said: "I am the Prince." Then he stepped back abruptly, flattening his arms against his sides. "Forgive me. I'm out of line."
It had been a long time since Kyo had been touched. He had never in his life been touched by someone, anyone, who was attracted to him. Sukhe's touch seemed to linger. The alienness of his body didn't seem important: the touch did. It was intimate and not unwelcome.
"No, it's alright."
Sukhe looked at him, but Kyo couldn't tell what he was thinking. They stood for what seemed like a long moment in the hallway. He realized how close he was to the wall. He could hear the breathing of the larger Seelie, smell a strange spicy scent on him. Then Sukhe said, "Someone's coming. I'm sure you're hungry. I'll take you to a den--it's a nice place: the food is very good at the one I'm thinking of."
"Is is like a restaurant?"
They started walking together. "It is like that, but not really. Food is not served, it is chosen. It is also a place that is quiet, out-of-the way. It is a place where people often go to talk, meet others, or just to have a space where one can have a good conversation with another without so many scents mixing in." He looked down. "I'm sorry. I should not have touched you."
Kyo remembered the touch again, and wished for another like it. "No, Sukhe, I liked it. No one has ever touched me like that before."
There was a jarring metallic smell suddenly. "No one? But you are terribly attractive."
"I'm also very alone, Sukhe. I'm the only human traveling through space, that I know of. My folks live at Selvan, and the rest of my planet has not left the solar system."
"But your ship was very advanced."
"I built it myself. The rest of the planet is too involved in politics to get out into space."
"I'd heard Earth was at civil war."
Kyo was puzzled. "You know about Earth?"
"It's in a quarantined area. Selvan's the closest civilized outpost. The rest of that sector is at civil war."
Kyo thought about that characterization of Earth. He supposed that a people at war with each other could be considered to be in a civil war. His thoughts stopped completely, however, when they emerged from the corridors.
The room they stepped into was noisy, smelled of thousands of different smells, colored with every color Kyo could think of and was filled with thousands of people. The room itself was enormous, there was no apparant ceiling: the walls rose into a bright light and dissappeared in it. All around people were talking, laughing, gesturing. There were merchants, stores, repair shops. Kyo's heart beat hard in his chest. He had never seen so many people in one place. They were of all sizes and types: there were humanoids of different colors, proportions, shapes. There were Seelies in all of their various patterns, and short-furred ones that Kyo supposed were Madjin.
Sukhe smiled his closed-mouth smile. "It's impressive, isn't it?"
"Yes. I can't believe..."
"This is only one of the smaller merchant-areas. Forgive me, but you must take my hand or we could be separated." He turned his six-fingered hand over, palm up and for the second time, Kyo took that hand. But this time, it felt different. He was excited by the touch. He felt the softness of the fur and felt the restrained strength of Sukhe, as he gently closed his fingers over Kyo's. Sukhe leaned down and whispered, "Your hands are so smooth." Then he straightened abruptly. Kyo knew he thought he shouldn't have said that, but Kyo was glad for the words. He didn't know he could be any more excited than he already was. He wanted to explore the vast room, see what people were selling, taste the foods and drinks--but even more than that, he was curious about this strange sexuality Sukhe had already inducted him into.
It
turned out to be a good thing that he'd taken Sukhe's hand.
The crowd was difficult to move through, and while Sukhe may
have been a Prince, down here in this ocean of faces and bodies,
he was just another Seelie. No one made any special movements,
or tried to make their path an easier one to travel. Sukhe walked
with deliberate slowness, but Kyo had to grab onto Sukhe's arm
with his other hand in order not to be torn away by the press
of people. When he'd touched that arm, he saw Sukhe's eyes dart
sideways. He smiled at him and Sukhe smiled back.
After pressing through the crowded courtyard for about five
minutes, it began to thin and Sukhe stopped in front of an opening
in the walls. There was a sign above the doorway with some rather
complex characters written on it. Sukhe looked around, then
looked down at Kyo. "This is my favorite place," he
said. "It's a place where I feel comfortable." And
with another glance around, he took Kyo's hand suddenly and
practically dragged him inside.
Inside, it wasn't anything like the frosty, cathedral-like granduer of the seller's courtyard. Instead, it was warm and reminded Kyo of a cave. It was decorated in reds, grays and creamy yellows. Art, not in squares like Kyo was used to, covered the walls. Antlers of some kind of animal poked into the space and candles provided lighting. A brown-spotted Seelie, much larger than Sukhe, came up to the two of them.
"Ah! The Prince! It's always good to have you honor our humble establishment." The brown one raised his neck, lifting his head in what Kyo assumed was a submissive gesture. "You have a new guest."
Kyo's eyes darted to Sukhe. Sukhe lifted himself up to stand a little higher, though he was still smaller than the other. He said, "Yes, Trista, this is Kyo O'Connor, who has traveled a great distance to visit the Empire."
"Then he is not a subject? How curious. Well, you are welcome here, Kyo-seva. Sukhe will show you to his favorite pleni, and I'll provide drinks. You've come at a good time Sukhe-sev, a new round is nearly finished."
Sukhe ducked his head and murmered thanks, then walked past Trista and Kyo followed. He looked around as they walked. There were many people inside the den, but most were what Kyo would call mixed couples: Seelies and humanoids. Each party was seated within their own little brightly decorated nooks, lounging on the floor. Some nooks had pillows, others furry rugs, all had small, Japanese-style tables. Kyo was comfortable with such an arrangement. His own furnishings on his ship were Japanese in style. Much of what he had learned about decorating came from his mother. Plus, it saved a lot of space compared to more Western-style furniture. Kyo also realized, as he walked with Sukhe, that this was place that Sukhe had probably taken many lovers.
They came to Sukhe's own favorite nook. It was small and cozy. Sukhe moved with a lithe grace into the space, curling onto the floor. It was covered with a soft looking brown fur rug. Kyo moved in and sat down near Sukhe.
Trista came right after them bearing a tray that had a bowl and a cup. The bowl he placed in front of Sukhe and the cup in front of Kyo. Both were a light celadon green. Then Kyo thought Trista winked as he walked away.
"What is this?" Kyo asked. He lifted the cup to his nose and sniffed. It had a spicy, gingery smell and was warm in his hands.
"It's an infusion--a tea. It's sweet. You will probably like it. All of our food should be safe for you. That was partly what the blood sample was for. The one they took from you at quarantine." He lifted the bowl to his mouth with both hands and drank deeply. Kyo realized he'd expected the Seelie to lap at it, but he didn't.
Kyo took a sip and found the drink to be very good. It was especially welcome after ten days of only water. "Sukhe, what are your intentions?"
The alien seemed to start. Sukhe ducked his head and lowered his eyes. "I'm afraid none of them are very good."
Kyo laughed.
"It was not meant to be funny. My sexuality is considered a perversion."
Kyo sat back. He felt good next to Sukhe. He enjoyed the warmth of his body, the softness of his touch. He said out loud, "I don't see how something that makes you feel good could be wrong. I really don't."
Sukhe smiled, his lips curling upwards, but not opening his mouth. He raised his head somewhat. "It could drive me away from my duty."
Kyo said, "I don't see how. I'm just a traveler and this is nothing more than a one night stand."
"A one night stand?"
"One time only."
"Oh," Sukhe was quiet. "If you are curious, then one night would be acceptable."
Kyo felt triumphant. He was excited and aroused. He was curious. As hungry as he was, he wouldn't have cared if they skipped their meal at all and went to wherever Sukhe went for these kinds of "activities."
However, Trista came by at that moment and informed them that everything was ready. Sukhe gracefully uncurled his body from the floor and Kyo stood up to follow him. They walked into another part of the room where other people were already standing, serving themselves. To Kyo, it was a cross between a buffet and a Selvan "family-style" spread. There weren't as many dishes as a buffet would have, but you were still expected to serve yourself. Kyo looked up at Sukhe and asked what he should try. The answer was "everything."
Kyo helped himself to something that looked like roast meat and another dish that was also meat swimming in a deep, purple gravy. Other foods were reminicient of sushi and rice. He took a small amount of everything and even though he's only taken a small amount, ended up with a lot of food on his plate.
They walked back together, side by side. Kyo could feel the warm brush of Sukhe's fur against his bare arms. He liked that feeling. He really could have just thrown the food aside. He wasn't completely sure what to do when having sex, but believed that Sukhe would be a patient teacher.
Sukhe eased his body back into the space they'd occupied before, gracefully folding his body up and still balancing the plate of food with his front arms. Kyo sat down next to him again, close to Sukhe. He was so big compared to him, soft and inviting.
There were no eating utensils on the table, but a bowl of something that looked like flat bread was waiting for them there. He watched Sukhe pick up a piece of bread with his long white fingers and scoop up some of them meat with the bread. Kyo copied his movements. The bread didn't taste like Kyo expected. It probably wasn't bread at all. It was sweet at first and then a little bitter as you continued to chew it. With the salty taste of the meat, it was a strange, but good compliment. Other things tasted somewhat like seaweed and algae. Kyo found he liked much of it and ate until he was full.
Sukhe
continued eating long after Kyo was finished, even getting a
second plate. But he was a much larger person than Kyo. Kyo
watched his hands move as he ate, delicately rolling the flat
bread around the different kinds of food they were eating. He
gave Kyo several shy, sly smiles and looks as he ate. He seemed
even more shy than before. Perhaps he hadn't believed this would
happen, that Kyo would have agreed to sleep with him.
Kyo was excited. He was anxious to feel his soft fur against
his bare skin. He imagined what Sukhe could do with his tongue
while he watched it curl around round sushi-like pieces. Sukhe
ducked his head and said, "I've never had anyone look at
me like you do."
Kyo looked away, "I'm sorry. I don't know the right way to act."
Sukhe took the bowl of tea and sipped at it, smiling a little. "You don't have to worry about how to act with me." He reached forward and stroked the side of Kyo's face. "Let me ask you this: does your species kiss?"
"Kiss? Yes, but I've never been kissed."
Sukhe smiled, regaining some of his confidence. "So many firsts and I am the honored to be the one who gives them." He leaned closer and with both warm, suede-like hands, touched either side of Kyo's face. Then his mouth was close to Kyo's. His cinnamon-sweet breath warm against Kyo's face. Kyo thought dimly that he should close his eyes and did. It made the sensations of heat, silky-smooth fur and cinnamon even stronger. He felt the pressure of Sukhe's mouth against his own. He parted his lips, feeling Sukhe's furry muzzle and the the slick wetness of his wide mouth. Sukhe's smooth tongue was a surprise. He realized that he'd assumed it would be cat-like and sandpapery. But it's warmth and gentle probing was welcome. Kyo found himself responding automatically: his own body knew what to do. He found his arms wrapping around Sukhe's neck, drawing him closer. He opened his mouth a little more and let his own lips and tongue respond. He felt the sharp tips of canine teeth, he tasted the bittersweet of the tea in Sukhe's mouth. He felt connected to Sukhe, found his head swimming, his cock growing hard inside his pants. He wanted to press his whole body against Sukhe. He wanted to be opened further, he wanted this to last forever.
Sukhe withdrew slowly. When Kyo looked at him again, he was smiling slightly. "It was an acceptable kiss?"
"Oh God, do it again..." He leaned forward, mimicking Sukhe, taking the larger Seelie's head in his own hands. Sukhe let himself be pulled closer, his black lips parted, his scent becoming more ginger than cinnamon. Kyo kissed him again, mouth open, probing. He scooted closer with his body, pressing himself against Sukhe's chest. Sukhe's long arms pressed him closer, his hands this time pressed against Kyo's back, rubbing up and down. Kyo wanted his hands to go lower. He wanted them inside his pants, over his skin. He found himself out of control for the first time in his life.
Sukhe pulled away gently. "We should go." He smiled at Kyo and touched his face. Kyo felt so senstive all over, that he shuddered. His cock ached inside his pants and while Sukhe turned away, getting Trista's attention, he adjusted himself so that he was more comfortable. He licked his lips and looked back at Sukhe. His long, sinuous back, his alien limbs and pelt--he was completely different from him: yet the kiss and their touches, they were familiar and right.
They left the den together, Sukhe looking around in a manner that was probably supposed to look casual. It seemed like he was looking for anyone who might identify him. After scanning the crowd, he looked down and then draped one of his front arms around Kyo, pressing him close. "I'm taking you to your room."
For some reason, those words sent shivers down Kyo's spine and made his cock harder. He loved the warmth and press of Sukhe's large body. He loved the strong arm draped casually around his shoulder. He reached up and held onto the fingertips of that hand, pressing them slightly.
The walk to the rooms was a long one, even when they utilized the walking "speedways." Finally, they entered a part of the building that was less spacious, the corridors were smaller and Sukhe had to stoop. It was obviously designed for humanoids. Finally, Sukhe withdrew his arm completely from around Kyo's shoulders and walked on all 6 legs. He was still very close, his cinnamon scent strong in the tight hallways.
Sukhe stopped suddenly, as if he was orienting himself and then turned left down an even tighter corridor. Finally, he stopped in front of a wall. There were words etched into the wall in several languages, including Selvan. They were actually numbers and letters mixed together--merely the designation of the room. Sukhe touched the wall in a pattern and it melted away. They stepped through, and the wall reformed behind them.
Suddenly, Kyo realized that he was completely alone with Sukhe. His anticipation and his fears came to the surface: he didn't know what to expect and whatever might happen would certainly happen soon.
He watched Sukhe move further into the room, inspecting it. He moved fluidly, like a tiger. His muscles bunching up under his thick pelt, then relaxing with every step. He was very animal-like--but then, many intelligent species were actually animals, including Kyo. He found a large area that had a soft rug and several pillows laid out around it. He lay down, curling into the shape of the crecent moon, his upper half raised just slightly. His black eyes caught Kyo and he said, "Come here. Don't be so shy. I will teach you tonight."
Kyo approached slowly, then sat down. He was close enough to touch Sukhe, and close enough to be drawn in by the larger Seelie, but he wasn't touching him yet. He said, "I should take off my clothes, shouldn't I?"
Sukhe cocked his head, regarding him. "I can't say I wouldn't like that. But don't take them off it you're not ready. We can take this as slowly as you want."
Kyo thought about how good it must feel to have that soft fur against his bare skin. He took off his jacket and his shirt, both of which were smelly and rank. Just after he'd pulled the shirt over his head, he felt the suede touch of Sukhe's hands on his chest. They started at the collar bone and traced downward. He could feel just a hint of his claws on his skin. The touch relaxed him. His muscles which had been tensed, began to unwind and open up. He sighed from deep down inside.
The
soft touch on his chest continued downward, as Sukhe drew his
clawed fingertips lower, across Kyo's belly, lightly touching
the waistband of Kyo's pants. The long, 6 fingered hands stroked
across Kyo's tight erection. The touch of Sukhe's warm hands
on his cock, even through the layers of clothes caused Kyo to
shudder.
He suddenly leaned into Sukhe, and was drawn into the Seelie's
arms. Sukhe rolled them over, pulling Kyo to his chest. "Explore
me," Sukhe said, and lay back into a mass of nest-like
pillows and animal furs.
Kyo was almost at a loss. He froze, his legs straddled over Sukhe's long torso. He didn't move for a moment. Sukhe wiggled underneath him, turning his head and catching Kyo's eye with his own glittering black ones. He bared his teeth in a smile. "Don't be afraid."
"I'm not," Kyo said. "I've just never..."
"I know. It's unfamiliar."
Kyo nodded.
"That's how I felt my first time with an alien."
"This is my first time, period!" Kyo protested.
"My first time was with an alien," Sukhe said, propping himself up a little with his first forearms.
"Really?"
"Yes. It was a couple of years ago. I'd always known I was different. When others talked about their crushes on others, I'd never felt that way. I wondered if there was something wrong with me." He blinked, then stroked Kyo's jaw with one of his hands. "My first time was with a young man who was a diplomat. He was very much like you in some ways--the kind of humanoid I find so beautiful..." He narrowed his eyes. "Does it bother you that I talk about him?"
Kyo shook his head. "No, please, tell me more."
"Well, he was a little taller than you, but slimmer. Most humanoids are hairless, but he was completely hairless, not even hair on his head, like you. His skin was the color of a clear sky. When he visited as a diplomat, I was the one who chosen to accompany him on his tours of this planet. Our ages were relatively similiar. We became friends quickly. One night, we were up late, watching an eletronic transmission of a famous play: Sharock di Beein. It's a funny one, and we were laughing. We got close to one another, and he kissed me."
Kyo laughed. "Don't tell me, 'One thing led to another....'"
"No, not exactly. But I wasn't his first. He'd been with others of my kind or other aliens. He was completely xenosexual--craving new experiences all the time. He said he'd never been with a Seelie and wondered if we were different than the Madjin. I remember stammering something stupid, as he coaxed me to lay down and ran his hands through my fur. He aroused me quickly... but I was still afraid. I was scared that I would hurt him, I was scared of doing something wrong..."
Kyo scooted forward now and placed a finger on Sukhe's lips. "Shh."
Sukhe's eyes widened. "Have I offended you?"
"No, but I understand that I am not alone. And I know you won't hurt me."
Sukhe nuzzled Kyo's neck. "No. Never."
Kyo kissed him, tasting the spicy, sweetness of Sukhe's mouth. He felt the hardness of his teeth. Sukhe's mouth moved over Kyo's neck, lapping gently at it. For such an enormous person, he was gentle and his touch was light. Kyo withdrew and allowed himself to explore the long torso underneath him, touching Sukhe's chest, feeling the many ribs underneath the soft, long white fur. He stroked downward, moving his body downward, until he felt the press of an erection against his own body.
Sliding off of Sukhe, he lay next to him and looked at Sukhe's organ. It was similiar to his in some ways, enough that Kyo could recognize it as Sukhe's cock, but in other ways, it was very alien. It was wet, black and had emerged from a sheath. It tapered a little at the end and wasn't as long or as thick as Kyo had feared. In fact, Kyo began to believe he could fully participate in the act of love-making with this huge alien. Sukhe's cock was only as long as half Kyo's forearm. It wasn't too thick either. He saw Sukhe wiggle his body and on a whim, Kyo lightly touched Sukhe's cock.
Sukhe shuddered. Kyo leaned closer and licked along his shaft, starting at the bottom and moving up to the tip. It tasted of ginger. He put his whole mouth around the tip of the organ, allowing his tongue to lap around it. More ginger--spicy with no sweetness. Sukhe moaned. Kyo looked up with just his eyes and saw Sukhe with his own black eyes half-closed. He recognized it as a moment of pleasure--and it wasn't alien at all.
In keeping with his exploration of Sukhe's body, Kyo traced downward, feeling a wet slit below the exposed cock. This was the external female organ. It was wet and cinnamon-smelling. He put his toungue inside, feeling more daring than he had felt in years. It tasted as it smelled and was wet and slick. Sukhe's body wriggled again and a strange moan escaped his mouth.
Suddenly, with a fluid motion, Sukhe curled forward, pulling Kyo away and lifting him into a kiss. Kyo was enveloped by his warm body, white fur completely encircling him. Sukhe's hands began to undo his pants even as they were still kissing, bodies pressed together. Kyo lay still, allowing himself to be undressed. He moaned into the kiss as Sukhe's suede-like hands ran over his bare ass, found his cock and stroked gently. Sukhe pulled him closer to his head, and lifted him so that he could reach Kyo's cock with his mouth. The entire length of Kyo's erection fit inside the hot, wet space of Sukhe's mouth. That smooth tongue curled around him, gently stroking him within, as his lips stroked outside. Kyo found himself on the verge of an orgasm.
Sukhe's soft hands ran over Kyo's buttocks. He felt the gentle press of a thumb against his asshole, a tight pressure that aroused him further. He didn't think it was possible to feel better than he had with his cock in Sukhe's mouth, but he did. He was aching to have Sukhe enter him in any way: with fingers, with his cock. It didn't matter. He arched his back and moaned--a sound that didn't seem like his own.
Sukhe stopped sucking Kyo's cock and tipped Kyo's body back somewhat. His tongue licked over his balls, tickling them. Then he licked underneath, tracing a wet trail to Kyo's asshole. Kyo was suddenly very aware of how dirty he was, with no bath or shower for 10 days now. He squirmed and said, "Later, please. I'm really gross."
"You taste good to me--salty, earthy."
Kyo smiled in spite of himself. "You taste good to me, too."
Sukhe smiled back. He lowered Kyo so that he was resting on Sukhe's chest on his stomach, his arms wrapped around Sukhe, his hard erection buried in Sukhe's white fur. He thought about Sukhe's own erection and his wet slit below. He slid down Sukhe's chest, and posistioned himself against him. He lay the tip of his own cock against this most obvious of Sukhe's entrances.
Sukhe curled forward, not impeding Kyo, but curling his body over him somewhat. Kyo could feel his touch on his shoulders and arms as he pushed into Sukhe. He had not expected him to be so tight, so hot. It was like a thousand warm, wet hands were gripping his cock as he pushed in deeper, bit by bit. He reached forward and gently touched Sukhe's erection as he began to thrust. He wasn't sure how far Sukhe went, but Kyo went in as deep as he could, pulled out again and then thrust back in. He stroked Sukhe's black cock with an irregular rhythm, amazed by the feel of his own first sexual experience. He felt Sukhe shudder and heard him moan as he fucked this alien. The first time he had ever made love to anyone. He thought, in a detatched way, that he should feel small, but instead he felt enveloped and protected as he performed this terribly intimate act.
As good as it was, Kyo was too aroused to continue much longer. He felt pressure building within him--so good it hurt terribly. He wanted the feeling to bubble over, to surface even if that meant letting go of it. He pushed harder, deeper, feeling greater wetness. His body tensed, a spring ready to uncoil. He wanted to explode, and finally he did, throwing his head against Sukhe's chest, crying out.
He felt himself pumping into Sukhe, and then he thought of nothing. When he was aware again, he noticed Sukhe's arms and hands surrounding him, pulling him close. Kyo withdrew slowly and let himself be pulled into Sukhe's embrace.
"That was good," Sukhe rumbled, and Kyo realized that he'd been afraid that wouldn't please Sukhe.
"Did you...?"
"Climax? No. But I will tonight." He winked. "I am an alien, Kyo."
Kyo laughed. "Is there a bath in this room?"
"Yes. But be still for a moment. I want to enjoy you slowly. Anyway, I like your smell."
"It's a bad smell," Kyo said, wrinkling his nose.
"Ah, but it's your bad smell."
