Page 104 of I'm Not Your Pet

My hand trembled a little as I smoothed out its edges, buying myself time. Huu-goh’s tiny hand helped me with the worst of the creases. “It’s a list,” I admitted—painfully awkward.

Calm yourself, Roark.

This is what you wanted.

There is no need to fear.

“A list?” Huu-goh tilted his head inquisitively to the side. I didn’t think I’d ever tire of that particular tone of his voice, especially now that I could understand his questions. I only wished we could take the translators with us and that they’d work on the ship. That I wouldn’t have to wait until we reached home to speak freely again.

“It’s a list I prepared of all the questions I’d like to ask you,” I clarified.

Huu-goh’s eyes searched mine, full of something close enough to worship it made my throat close up. “Really?”

Why was he so surprised?

“I want toknowyou.” It took me a while to find the right words, but when I did, peace settled over me.

“Oh.” Huu-goh blinked, taking a moment to process this before he traced the first line on the list with his lovely peach-colored fingers. “What’s the first one say?”

He couldn’t read Common, so I’d be forced to ask him rather than let him read for himself. It was a blessing and a curse. It forced me out of my comfort zone, to speak when normally I’d stay silent. But it also meant getting to talk to Huu-goh with a list to aid me, and apparently I needed all the help I could get now that I was a nervous, happy wreck.

I took a steadying breath. I hadn’t expected to get into this so soon, and not while we were still dancing, but I figured if Huu-goh wanted to start now—who was I to stop him?

“When is your birthday?” I asked, voice gruff.

“April twenty-third,” he answered quickly. “I don’t know when that actually is, relative to what time it is now. Not anymore.” His last comment wasn’t sad, or even resigned. He was stating a fact, totally detached from the way it should’ve made him feel to lose something so important.

“Would you like a new birthday?” I asked, curious.

Huu-goh blinked, his big brown eyes swimming with an emotion I couldn’t name. His eyes squeezed shut and he nodded, a single tear slipping down his cheek.

“We’ll pick one together when we get back to the ship,” I murmured, a tendril slipping from my collar to swipe away the sticky, salty streak. I couldn’t believe how odd I’d found his tears at first. And now…nowI had never seen anything more beautiful than Huu-goh’s vulnerability.

“How old are you?” I asked next. This was a lot. I didn’t want to overwhelm him.

“Twenty-one.”

I barked in amusement. “You are ababy,” I teased.

“Oh, fuck you,” Huu-goh chuckled, then slapped a hand over his mouth like he hadn’t meant to say that. He’d been doing that a lot today.

“Later,” I promised, unable to help myself, tendrils urging his hand away from his mouth.

“How old areyou?” Huu-goh asked, his eyes narrowing, cheeks ruddy red.

“Forty-two,” I answered. “I do not know what that translates to in huu-man years, but on my planet I am within my prime.”

“Oh,” Huu-goh bit his lip. “I’m an adult too,” he blurted. “In case you literally meant you thought I was a baby. Dunno about being in my ‘prime’ or whatever, but…” I hadn’t worried, but I appreciated the reassurance all the same. It was common knowledge that A&R only abducted adults, so I’d never had cause to fear.

“How long did you work on F’ukYuu?” I asked, working my way down the list.

“Three years as far as I can tell.”

“Did you like it?”

This question took Huu-goh a lot longer to answer. His expression was pensive as he twisted his fingers in my suit, chewing on his bottom lip. “I liked…some of it.”

“What parts?” That was an easy one, hopefully.

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