Page 59 of Secretly Abducted
"The storm damage won't fix itself," I say, but I'm already relaxing slightly. Finn's easy manner has that effect.
"How bad was it?" Tev'ra asks, gesturing for us to sit. "We could see the waves from here during the worst of it."
"Section F took the brunt," Alex says, settling beside me. "We've been rebuilding the support structures all week. Vel's been teaching me how to read the health patterns in the zhik'ra."
"You're really committing to the farming life," Finn observes, pouring drinks. "Definitely different from hacking and working on code and systems."
"Turns out I prefer working with living things that actually grow. "
"Plus the view is likely better," I add, surprising myself with the attempt at humor.
"The view?" Tev'ra asks.
"He means me. Shirtless. Wet. Working." Alex grins. "I'm decorative and functional."
Tev'ra suppresses a laugh, then looks at me. "The Council told me. About what happened. What you thought happened versus what actually happened."
My whole body goes tense. "Tev'ra—"
"You saved him," Tevra says simply. "That sixteen-year-old boy needed help, and you gave it to him. The fact that you blamed yourself for his withdrawal, something you couldn't have known about or prevented, just proves what I already knew—you care too much, feel too much."
"Is that why you let Alex stay here?" I ask. "Because you knew?"
"I let Alex stay because he needed a place." Tevra smiles. "But maybe I also hoped he'd find you. That you'd finally stop punishing yourself for something that wasn't your fault."
"Okay, this is getting heavy," Finn interrupts, but his tone is kind. "I made bread. From the synthesizer, but still. And we have that fermented fruit drink that's basically alien wine. Let's eat and gossip instead of having feelings everywhere."
The tension breaks. We settle around their table—an odd mix of human and Nereidan design—and share food that's similarly hybrid. The bread is definitely Earth-style, but the spreads are local. The fermented fruit drink is sweet.
"So the parents," Finn says, pouring another round. "Tell me everything."
Alex launches into the story, embellishing dramatically. By the time he gets to me kissing him possessively in front of everyone, even I'm laughing.
The evening continues with easy conversation, shared laughter, the kind of simple socializing I haven't done in so long. Finn tells stories about Earth that have us all laughing, Tev'ra shares program gossip that I pretend not to find fascinating, and Alex and I explain the zhik'ra farming that's become our shared work.
"You know they're looking for humans to join the program officially," Tev'ra mentions as we're finishing dinner. "Paid positions, helping with cultural exchange."
"Yeah?" Alex sounds interested but not eager.
"I might apply," Finn says.
"You'd be good at it," Tev'ra agrees, his patterns warm with affection. "You're naturally diplomatic."
"I'm naturally nosy now that I'm not so stuck in survival mode," Finn corrects. "But that probably helps too."
"What about you?" Tev'ra asks Alex.
Alex looks at me, and I feel his contentment through the bond. "I'm good where I am. The zhik'ra won't tend themselves."
"You want to be a farmer?" Finn sounds incredulous. "You had a tech job on Earth."
"And now I have this." He takes my hand. "The work's physical, outdoors, with my partner. What more could I want?"
The sincerity in his voice, in our bond, makes me smile.
"You're both saps," Finn declares. "Complete romantic saps."
We stay late, later than I've been awake in years. When we finally leave, I'm slightly unsteady from the fermented fruit, and Alex has to guide me home through the bioluminescent pathways.
