Rann narrowed her eyes. Something was amiss. Tassie sat at the table with a steaming mug of tea, looking haggard. Whatever she’d learned was clearly weighing on her. After her reaction yesterday, this was to be expected. Rann would have to talk with her about it at some point.
Reya and Adrian looked equally tired but there was a glow to them. Rann hummed, trying to figure it out. The pair had gotten up late, as per usual. Morning people they were not. They’d been throwing each other furtive glances all day since they first came downstairs. What Rann couldn’t figure out was why they were all shy smiles and puppy dog eyes.
The pair was a stark contrast to Tassie and it confused Rann greatly. By all accounts, they should be worse off than Tassie based on yesterday’s reactions, yet somehow they weren’t. As it were, Adrian and Reya were sitting cuddled up on the couch. Adrian was in the corner with Reya draped against him while they continued an earlier conversation. Something had happened between them, but Rann still couldn’t figure out what. She did notice that they were sticking to each other far more than usual.
Kell and Beor entered the house and Reya shot up, going straight towards Kell. Adrian didn’t appear to mind, as if he were already expecting her to do so. “Kell, could I talk to you please?” Reya asked. She cast a worried glance around. “Privately,” she added.
“Of course. Would you like to go to the med bay?” Kell asked. Reya nodded silently and Kell brought her onto the ship. Once at the med bay, Kell locked the doors behind him, ensuring that they wouldn’t be interrupted during Reya’s consultation. “What’s the matter?” he asked once they were both settled at his desk.
“This isn’t easy for me to ask,” Reya stammered, her face flushing. Kell cocked a brow. “I need some birth control,” she blurted out. Immediately, she looked down at her hands folder in her lap shyly. “And something a little more,” she paused, embarrassed, “immediate.”
“And why would you need that?” Kell said. “Unless you’ve been having sex or intend to have sex, then there’s no need for birth control. I think that I’d be aware of any developments where you’re sleeping with somebody. Is it Jyn?”
“What!? No!” Reya shouted. “It’s not him. Gods, not him.” She shook her head. “It’s – well, it’s Adrian.” Reya held her breath, waiting for judgement to pass on Kell’s face. The most she got was a mildly surprised expression, which was quickly schooled into something more neutral.
“I see,” Kell said slowly. “And when did this happen?”
“Last night,” Reya replied.
“Which explains why you want birth control. Do you intend to keep having sex with him?”
“Hopefully,” Reya said with a content sigh. Catching herself in her daydream, Reya blinked and came back to herself. Kell waited patiently, the bliss on her face as she thought about her time with Adrian a good sign. For so long, all he’d seen on Reya were despondent, closed off expressions with barely a smile. He made a mental note of the change.
“I honestly don’t think you’ll need birth control, given that Adrian is a different species. Mind you, he’s so similar to us, you never know. We also don’t know how the experiments performed on him affected him. He might not be able to have children at all.”
“It’s better to be safe. I’d rather not take a chance,” Reya said.
“And what you did last night?” Kell asked, trailing off.
“I took a chance.”
“You didn’t use protection, did you? Gods, what am I even asking. Of course you didn’t. I don’t even think there’s any here at the safe house. Speaking of, I’ll have to have a chat with Rann and Beor,” Kell muttered to himself. “Alright, I get the idea now. I’ll get something prepared for you, give me a minute.”
Reya watched with interest as Kell went through the motions of preparing an injection for her. “It’s not a pill?” she asked. Kell took out a syringe and attached a needle. Rummaging around, he found the appropriate bottle and filled the syringe.
“Not today it’s not. You’re getting an injection instead. It will last longer and do a better job. Plus, it should take care of any unwanted pregnancies. Not that I think that can even happen. This might hurt a little bit.”
“My idea of what’s painful has been drastically altered, Kell. This is nothing to me. Literally nothing.” Reya impassively watched Kell administer the injection. She received a look of concern at her comment but paid it no mind.
“How have you been feeling since having sex with Adrian? Have you noticed anything different?”
“I’ve been unusually hot, but apart from that, nothing special.”
“Hot how?” Kell asked. Reya flushed and explained where the heat was coming from. “Interesting,” he muttered. “If there are any changes, please let me know. I wonder what’s causing the feeling? It’s not like I can ask Adrian. He won’t let me study him.”
“How do you know it’s related to Adrian?”
Kell shot her a look. “Deduction. Based on what you described and what happened last night, it’s plausible Adrian is the reason.”
“Do you think it’s dangerous?” Reya asked, worried.
“I have no idea. Probably not. Keep me posted if you begin feeling any different.”
Reya nodded. With no further reason to be in the med bay, Reya left. She was embarrassed about what she’d had to discuss but knew that she had no choice. She had valid concerns that needed to be addressed. Promptly, so that nothing happened until they were ready. Her worry abated, she skipped along back to the house with a bounce in her step. To which she found Rann waiting for her.
“Is everything alright?” Rann asked in concern. “You had to go see Kell, which means there must be something wrong.”
“Rann, I’m fine. It’s nothing serious. I just had a few questions for him that I would rather remain private,” Reya said, flushed.
Rann gave her a searching look. “If you say so. What’s the deal between you and Adrian?” she asked, changing topics abruptly. Reya jolted at the mention and flushed further. “You’ve both been acting weird all day. I was expecting you guys to be more like Tassie but it’s almost like you’re the opposite. That and you somehow cling to each other more than usual.”
“Can you hold on to that thought for a bit?” Reya asked nervously. “I have something really important to discuss with Adrian before I give you an answer.”
“More important than answering my question now?”
“It’s related to your question. I’ll have a better answer for you after I speak with him.”
Rann frowned. “Fine,” she said bitterly. “Go off and be with Adrian.”
Reya hesitated. “Rann, it’s not that I don’t want to tell you anything. I promise I will. It’s just that my answer literally depends on something Adrian and I have yet to discuss. I was going to go talk about it with him now.”
“I get it,” Rann said. “Adrian is more important.”
“Rann, please don’t be this way. Can you give me just a little bit of time? This isn’t something I want to hide from you but now’s not the right time to talk about it,” Reya pleaded.
Rann shooed Reya off. Reluctantly, Reya entered the house, leaving Rann behind outside on the porch. Adrian was still in the same spot she’d seen him last. He was dozing on the couch. The house was silent. Reya didn’t know where everybody was, but they clearly weren’t there to bother Adrian. Reya debated whether she should join him. Reminding herself that they really needed to talk about last night, she walked towards him.
“You’re back,” Adrian commented as she approached, surprising her.
“I haven’t even said anything yet, how’d you know it was me?” Reya asked.
“I’d recognize your footsteps anywhere. And your scent.” Adrian’s eyes were still closed as he spoke. “Did your meeting go well? It’s nothing too serious, is it?” he asked in a worried tone, finally opening his eyes to properly look at her. He regarded Reya curiously yet made no other effort to force her to talk about it.
“It went just fine,” Reya smiled. “It wasn’t anything serious to begin with. There’s no need to worry.” Adrian visibly relaxed at the news. “Actually, there’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Me too,” Adrian nodded. With their relationship status unclear, he wanted to discuss the matter properly with her. Whatever would happen between them next would depend on how the conversation played out. To say he was nervous was an understatement, but he tried not to let it show.
“Is now a good time?” she asked.
“Now works for me. Would you like to go on a walk so we can be alone?”
Reya responded by opening the front door and stepping outside. She motioned for him to join. Adrian put on his shoes and shut the door behind him. The pair made their way out back towards their usual trail and slipped into the woods.
They walked in silence, each trying to figure out how best to broach the topic on their minds, knowing that there would be no going back once they did. An uneasy tension grew between the two as they progressed along the trail. When they saw their usual destination overlooking the valley, they hastened their pace. Adrian walked up to it first, settling in. Reya went next and leaned against him, his arm wrapping around her. She rested her head on his shoulders.
“About last night,” she started, unsure how to proceed.
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about,” Adrian said, taking advantage of her pause.
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Reya’s heart thundered in her chest. “What are your thoughts on what happened?” She felt Adrian stiffen and braced herself for the worst. A million scenarios ran through her mind, envisioning Adrian rejecting her after they’d slept together. Perhaps her body was too ugly, with its myriad of scars. Perhaps the sex hadn’t been good – although she doubted that. Or perhaps Adrian had come to realize that he didn’t like her as much as she thought he did.
Adrian mulled over his answer, carefully selecting his words. “I loved it,” he said honestly. His hold on Reya tightened. “It felt like a dream come true, being with you.” Reya’s eyes watered with relief, and she sniffed. “How about you?” he continued. “What do you think about what happened?”
“Last night was magical,” she replied in a small voice. “It was – I don’t know how to explain it. It felt like we had a connection when it happened. I’ve never felt that way before with anybody.”
“It was the same for me. Last night was all I ever wanted. All I could ever hope for.” Adrian hesitated. “Would you be open to doing it again?”
The delay in Reya’s answer terrified Adrian. For a moment, he envisioned her saying no, rejecting him and wanting nothing more to do with him. A nightmare he’d never escape should it come to be.
“Yes,” Reya said quietly. “I’d like that very much.”
Elation filled Adrian. However, he was left with another question. One he burned with the desire to know the answer too yet was almost too afraid to ask. He could delay it until another time, but he knew that it best sorted out now while they were on the topic. “So,” he started slowly, “what are we?”
“I don’t know. What would you like us to be?” Reya held her breath. With her question asked, she would finally learn what Adrian was looking for out of her. She dearly hoped that it was the same thing she wanted.
Adrian turned his head and regarded her. He couldn’t properly make out her expression. If he’d been able to, he would have seen the anticipation written all over her face. The worry and nervousness. The fear behind her eyes. He saw none of that, however.
Reya waited.
“What I want,” he said, “is for us to be more than we are now. I want a relationship with you, if you’ll have me. Is that such a crazy thing to hope for? After last night, I thought that maybe you might feel the same way. I want to learn everything about you and grow alongside you.”
“Oh, gods,” Reya sniffed as tears spilled over, wetting Adrian’s shirt and alarming him. “That’s what I want too.” Relief flooded Adrian. “When I’m with you, I feel like a person again, not a fragile doll that needs to be protected. You understand me in ways nobody else does. You complete me. It terrifies me, how much I need you.”
It was Adrian’s turn for tears to well in his eyes. Reya’s declaration struck a chord deep in his heart. Never had he been told that he was somebody’s second half. Emotions welled up within him, overcoming him.
“Adrian? What’s wrong?” Reya asked, having stopped crying when she heard Adrian choke up.
“It’s just – what you said.” Adrian choked up. “I’ve never been told that, by anyone. To think you feel the same way I do makes feel on top of the world, and I don’t know how to handle it. You make me feel whole. After all the things that were done to me, I never thought I’d feel that way again. I can’t describe it, but when I’m with you the world feels right. You’re the missing piece of me that I never knew existed.”
Reya’s tears welled up again. “What are we then?”
“Whatever we are now, I like it. I want more. I want to be yours, exclusively. I want you to be mine. I want a real relationship with you.”
“Are you sure?”
“I can’t imagine life without you, Reya,” Adrian said tenderly, brushing a tear from her cheek.
“That sounds like a marriage proposal,” Reya chuckled.
“Perhaps one day it will be.” Adrian said softly. Reya’s breath caught in her throat, realizing how seriously Adrian was taking this decision. For the first time, she realized that there was nothing lighthearted behind Adrian’s actions regarding their relationship.
Reya turned around in Adrian’s arms. “That makes it official, then.” Staring deep into his eyes, she beckoned him for a kiss. Adrian leaned forward and their lips met. They didn’t part for a long time.
----------------------------------------
The walk back was far more pleasant than the walk there. Fingers intertwined, Adrian and Reya descended the mountain without a care in the world. Their topic of discussion revolved around how to break the news to the others. Various reactions were to be expected and they needed to be ready for the damage control they were going to have to do.
“I don’t think Rann, Tassie, Beor, or Kell will be a problem,” Reya said. “Neither will Eimir. The only issue is going to be Jyn.”
“He’s a wild card, I’ll give you that,” Adrian agreed. “I can’t imagine him taking the news well at all. I know that he envisioned himself in a relationship with you before any of this happened. It might be difficult for him to accept the new reality. Especially since he seems to hate me.”
“Should we keep it a secret then, that we’re together?”
“No, that’s only going to cause problems. We’ll spend so much time trying to hide. I don’t want that. I want to be with you openly. I want to be able to hold your hand like this in front of the others. Or fall asleep together on the couch without any judgement. Let them know. I think it will be better that way. It doesn’t matter to me whether or not the others accept our relationship.”
“You don’t think there will be any backlash if we do it that way?” Reya asked.
“There’s going to be backlash,” Adrian said, giving his thoughts on the matter. “At least this way we get it over with all once rather than play cloak and dagger and let problems simmer in the background.”
“Fair point. Would you mind if I told Rann first? She noticed us acting weird today and asked me about it. I told her I’d tell her after our walk, but it’s been a few hours already. She didn’t like that I refused to answer her question in favour of being with you.”
Adrian winced. “I can understand that sentiment. She probably felt like an afterthought, being dismissed. Especially since it doesn’t take long to answer a simple question.”
“I told her that we needed to discuss something important before I could properly answer her question. Hopefully she’ll be understanding when I explain it to her.”
The house came in sight through the trees. They were almost back home. A lone figure was occupying one of the chairs at the fire pit. It was Rann. Adrian leaned in close and gave Reya a deep kiss. “Good luck,” he said. “I’m sure everything will go fine.”
“I hope so,” Reya said nervously. Together the pair left the tree line and entered the backyard, still holding hands. Rann heard the rustling of the branches and undergrowth from behind her and turned around. She eyed the couple suspiciously, her gaze lingering on their hands. Adrian let go of Reya.
“I’ll be in the house if you need me,” he said. Reya nodded and watched him climb up the steps and enter through the back door. Wordlessly, she sat down in the chair next to Rann.
“I’m ready to talk now, if you still want to,” Reya broached. “I’m sorry about leaving you hanging earlier, but that conversation really needed to happen.”
Rann sighed. “I don’t fully get it, so you’ll have to explain to me why you couldn’t answer that question earlier. It really sucked, being blown off like that.”
Reya winced. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for it to end up like that.”
“What is it, then?”
“Something happened between me and Adrian last night,” Reya said, her heart racing. What she had to say was on the tip of her tongue. “We slept together,” she blurted out, unable to keep it in any longer.
“So?” Rann said, unimpressed. “You already sleep together. I don’t understand the difference.”
“No, Rann. We slept together,” Reya intoned. “No sleeping involved.”
“Oh,” Rann said, her eyes widening as she processed the news. “So, you and Adrian,” she trailed off.
“That’s what we needed to discuss. After last night, we weren’t certain what our relationship was anymore. Everything was fine in the morning – perhaps a little too fine for you to notice – but we didn’t actually define anything concrete.”
“That’s what your discussion was about,” Rann realized. “And why you couldn’t tell me properly earlier. You didn’t know the answer to my question.”
“Exactly. Adrian and I went on a walk to settle things properly.”
“And? What did you decide to do, finally?”
“We’ve decided to start a relationship together,” Reya said bashfully.
Rann’s jaw dropped. She should’ve seen it coming, she supposed. Adrian and Reya had grown unnaturally close in a short amount of time. Coupled with the fact that they shared a room together, a development in their relationship shouldn’t come as a surprise. “You’re sure you want to do that?” Rann asked.
“What do you mean by that?” Reya asked warily.
“I’m just saying, things with Adrian are going to be complicated. There’s the fact that he’s an alien, for one. The second is that he can’t just walk out into society yet – perhaps never. Are you willing to live in secrecy for that?”
Reya regarded Rann. “Yes,” she said, utterly serious. “I’ve already thought about the implications. I know this is going to be messy, but I can’t help it. He makes me happy in ways I didn’t think were possible. After everything I went through, I never thought I would feel like that again. Even though it’s going to be difficult, I want – no, need – what he has to offer me. I’m not going to pretend my feelings don’t exist. I learned the hard way not to take these kinds of things for granted. I’m not going to give him up just because it’s going to be difficult.”
“It seems like you’ve given this quite a bit of thought.”
“He completes me, Rann. He makes me feel whole after parts of myself were ripped out of me while I was sitting there at that table. Why should I deny myself this chance?”
“You shouldn’t,” Rann said quietly, looking down at her lap. “Is that why you talk to him about the things you won’t tell us?”
Reya shook her head. “I speak to him to sort out my thoughts on matters that are very difficult to understand without having lived through them yourself. And yes, it’s related to what we saw yesterday with Tassie. Unfortunately, I’m not allowed to really speak about that.”
“I understand,” Rann said. “It still sucks, knowing that I can’t fill that roll for you.”
“You’ve already done so much for me. You have no idea how much support you gave me when I needed you the most.”
“You’re just saying that.”
“Without you, I would’ve never recovered enough to get this far. You visiting me in the hospital as often as you did helped me immensely. You kept me grounded when I was at my worst. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you and Tassie hadn’t been by my side then. You were a ray of guiding light when I was trapped in a place so dark I almost surrendered to it. That’s not Adrian. That’s you. You’ve done things for me he’ll never be able to do.”
Tears rimmed Rann’s eyes. “And now?”
“Now, it’s Adrian’s turn to help me work through what we saw yesterday. I’m not sure if I’m allowed to tell you this, but what we saw yesterday also happened to me. It triggered some very bad memories.”
Rann thought for a moment. “Is it related to your state when we found you?” she asked. Reya nodded. “You never did talk about what they did to you to make you like that.”
“I know,” Reya said somberly. “What I didn’t say was how much it hurt. Words aren’t enough to describe it. It broke me, Rann. It turned me into what I was in the hospital and afterwards. That person was a shell. Empty. You fixed the cracks and kept me together when I was about to break. Adrian is the one filling me back up. Don’t ever think for a moment that you’re not helping me. You being you means more than you’ll ever know, even if you don’t see it.”
Rann used her sleeve to wipe her eyes. “You mean it?” she sniffed.
“Always,” Reya said. “I wouldn’t trade you for the world.” She walked up to Rann and gave her a hug. For a moment, neither said a word. They didn’t need to. The girls separated, and Reya nervously asked, “So what do you think about me and Adrian?”
“I hope he makes you happy,” Rann said warmly. “All I want is to see you smile again. I want you to laugh and have a spark of life back in your eyes. Adrian brings out the best in you, as much as I might not want to admit it. Watching the two of you is sickeningly sweet sometimes. You deserve some happiness. I say you grab a hold of it and never look back.”
“So I have your blessing?” Reya asked.
Rann chuckled. “Why would you need my blessing or approval? You were going to start a relationship with him regardless, weren’t you?”
“I’d feel better knowing that I have your support instead of disapproval.”
“Why?”
“Your opinion matters to me, Rann. It always has. It always will.”
“Aw jeez, you’re going to make me cry,” Rann said, fanning herself. “Yes, Reya. You have my blessing.” Reya flashed a brilliant smile. “I have no doubt the others are going to be the same. We all want what’s best for you. The only person who might take exception is Jyn.”
Reya deflated. “Yeah, that’s the other thing I wanted to talk to you about. What do I do about him? You heard him protest to us sharing a room and going on late-night walks.”
“He actually had a valid concern about your late-night walks,” Rann replied.
“Fine, I’ll give him a pass for that one,” Reya conceded. “I’m still worried about what he’ll do. Especially to Adrian. He really doesn’t like him.”
“I think the reason he doesn’t like him has more to do with the fact that Adrian swooped in and stole you away. At first, it might have been something else. Now, I think he’s just jealous and hurt over losing you.”
Reya winced. “I had a feeling. I had no idea how he felt about me until our argument. I was not in a good headspace at the time, and I shut him down pretty hard.”
“I know, I heard.”
“That’s right,” Reya said sheepishly. “I forgot.”
“I honestly don’t know how Jyn is going to react. He’s been a bit of a wild card lately.”
“Hopefully he’s reasonable about it,” Reya sighed.
“I doubt that’s going to be the case.”