"Can I ask you something?" I say, my voice quiet in the dim room.
"Of course."
"What happens if you fail? If you tell your Council that humans aren't compatible?" It's a question I've been avoiding, partly out of fear of the answer.
Zeph is silent for a moment, his hand stilling on my back. "That outcome would be... problematic for my people."
"Problematic how?"
"Our population continues to decline. We require genetic diversity and cultural adaptation to survive as a species." He sighs, the sound vibrating through his chest beneath my ear. "If humans are deemed incompatible, we must continue searching for other viable partners. But our resources are limited, and time is not in our favor."
The weight of his words settles over me. This isn't just about us, it's about the survival of his entire species. "So no pressure or anything."
"The pressure is not on you, Jake." His arms tighten around me slightly. "You have already provided all the data needed for my recommendation."
"And what will that recommendation be?" I lift my head to look at him. "Are humans compatible or not?"
"Based on our interactions, I will be reporting that humans demonstrate exceptional compatibility potential." His golden eyes meet mine. "Our physiological differences are offset by remarkable adaptive capacity. Our cultural disparities provide opportunities for mutual growth rather than conflict."
"So this wasn't all for nothing," I say, trying to find some comfort in that.
"No. It was not for nothing." Zeph reaches up to trace my jawline with one finger. "Though I find myself wishing the outcome could be different."
"You and me both." I lower my head back to his chest, listening to the strange rhythm of his heartbeat, slightly fasterthan a human's, with an occasional double-beat that I've come to find soothing.
I don't want to waste our remaining hours talking about councils and compatibility reports. I want to be with him, to create memories that will have to last a lifetime.
Instead, I shift position, moving to straddle his hips. His cock is already hardening beneath me, the bioluminescence spreading across his skin in waves that follow my touch. In the soft glow, he looks otherworldly and yet completely familiar, like someone I've known far longer than three days.
"I don't want to talk about councils and compatibility anymore," I tell him, grinding slowly against his growing erection. "I just want to be with you while I still can."
Zeph sits up, keeping me in his lap, his hands sliding up my thighs to grip my hips. "What do you need, Jake?"
What I need is more time. What I need is to not say goodbye. What I need is impossible.
"I need to ride you," I say instead, reaching between us to wrap my hand around his cock. "I need to feel you inside me, see your face while you come. I need to remember this."
His eyes darken to amber, the glow beneath his skin intensifying. "I do not believe I could forget if I tried."
"Show me," I whisper, positioning myself above him. "Show me how to make this last."
I reach between us to stroke him, watching in fascination as his cock responds to my touch, the natural lubricant beginning to seep from his skin, making my hand glide effortlessly. Within moments, his shaft is glistening with the slick substance, and my fingers are coated with it.
"Let me prepare you," he says, his voice dropping to that register that never fails to make my cock throb.
"Yes," I breathe, rising up on my knees to give him better access.
His fingers are gentle but thorough as they work me open, one at first, then two, then three, the natural lubricant making everything slick and easy. I rock back against his hand, already desperate for more, but Zeph maintains his methodical pace.
"So beautiful," he murmurs, his free hand stroking my cock in time with the movement of his fingers. "The way you respond to my touch. The sounds you make."
"Zeph," I gasp as his fingers brush against my prostate. "Please. I'm ready."
"Are you certain?" His concern is touching, but right now I just need him inside me.
"I've never been more certain of anything." I lift myself up, positioning his cock at my entrance. "I want to feel all of you."
Slowly, carefully, I sink down onto him, taking him inch by inch. The stretch is intense but not painful, his natural lubricant and careful preparation making it easier than it should be. Still, he's big enough that I have to pause halfway, breathing deeply, adjusting to the fullness.