Page 59 of Steel & Thunder
After chuckling and pulling me in for another kiss, we roll out of bed. It’s strange how easy it is to slip into this...thing between us, how domestic it already feels. I’m not fighting against it, not anymore. I get the feeling that would just leave me with a sore ass.
It’s late enough that we skip breakfast and go straight to lunch, just some grilled fish. We eat in relative silence, still waking up, when Khazak puts his fork down to tell me something.
“My family is having a dinner tonight. We normally have them once a month,” he starts explaining. “Given the events of the past few days, I thought it would be best to skip. It is not normally too difficult to get out of attending, but my sister is home for the first time in over a year and my father is insisting. An invite has also been extended to you of course, but I would understand if you would prefer to stay here instead.”
“They invited me?” Maybe it’s normal around here to invite your child’s slave to dinner?
“My family is nothing if not hospitable.” Khazak nods.
“When did you find that out?” It sounds like it’s new information to him too.
“Yesterday. It was one of the stops I made while I was out.” He toys with his fork a little while he talks, like he’s nervous.
My first thought is to take his offer of not attending because I think he’s right. Meeting his family right now after everything that’s happened seems like it would be more than just awkward. But so far almost everyone he’s introduced me to has been pretty nice. Jury’s still out on Brull. His family though, if they’re related to him, they’ve gotta be decent people, right?
“Actually, I think I’d like to go.” There’s also a part of me that’s interested in seeing what an orc family dinner is like.
“Are you sure?” He looks surprised at my answer. “It really would not be a problem to make an excuse for your absence.” Aww, is he nervous about me meeting his family?
“No really. It sounds like it might be fun.” His smile still looks a little stiff at my answer. “Besides, your dad is the one who taught you how to cook, right? I bet the food’s gonna be great.” That gets me a chuckle. “Your sister moved away?”
“In a way. She travels a lot, all over the world.” He stabs a piece of fish with his fork. “This is the second longest she has been away from home. Right after our twenty-fifth birthday, she left on a journey south for almost a year and a half.”
“Wow.” She sounds awesome. “Wait, you have the same birthday?”
“I should hope so. She is my twin.” He brings another bite to his mouth.
“No fucking way. You’re a twin too?” How did I not know? Don’t answer that.
“You have a twin sister?” He looks surprised, swallowing his food and dabbing his mouth.
“Brother.” I wonder what he’s doing right now.
“So there are two of you? Oh no.” There’s that dry sense of humor.
“You wish. We’re not identical.” That’s usually one of the first things people ask when they find out I have a twin brother.
“It is quite the coincidence that we would both be twins.” He looks genuinely intrigued.
“Yeah, that’s crazy.” Seriously, what are the odds? “What’s her name?”
“Ayla.” Simple enough. “Yours?”
“Michael.” Or Mike. Or Mikey. “Are you two close?”
“When we were younger. As we got older, our paths in life diverged.” Sounds like he’s probably said that before. “She and I still talk, but it is not like when we were children.”
“I know what you mean.” It’s not an unfamiliar story. “Mike and I were practically inseparable as kids, but then about two years ago, he went off to fancy wizard college and now we don’t talk as much.” Even less now that I no longer have a mailing address.
“But up until then you two had similar interests?” He takes another bite of his fish.
“Not even a little.” I shake my head, smiling when I think about Mike and me back in school together. “We have the same eyes, same nose, same sense of humor, but we’re different in just about every other way.”
“How so?” He leans back in his chair as he listens.
“He’s a nerd.” I mean that in the nicest way possible. Do orcs have a word for nerd? “When we were little, he was always reading a book or getting excited about something he learned in school while I was busy running around trying to climb trees and hit things with sticks. He was always awkward around girls—”
“Whereas you were awkward around boys?” He is way too pleased with himself for that one. This is my own fault.
