Page 14 of Hidden
***
MY FIRST KISS ON MARSwas on the way to the Pinnacle.
My second was in the shadow of the Pinnacle. Still in the rover, of course, kissing with helmets on wouldn’t be much fun.
My third was in my bedroom. And it ended in a little more than a kiss. I never knew how good sex on Mars would be. The lessened gravity made it a lot more exciting than on Earth.
Han and I are officially a couple now, and I’ve been glowing ever since he first called me his girlfriend. That word sounds like something people in their teens would use, not us adults, but hey, it’s still romantic.
But one thing has been running through my head ever since that day in the rover. Will said Han hadn’t been the only one talking about me. Wanting me.
And with that, I’m thinking back to my crazy days, when I thought I was going to be with all of them. An unconventional relationship with six men. Well, unconventional on Earth, but we could make it the norm on Mars. Whatever we do here is new, but it can become tradition in the future. If there are ever other people. We still haven’t heard from Earth. Jim managed to hack into one of the satellites in Earth’s orbit and showed us some of the pictures.
Our old planet has changed beyond recognition. The continents are no longer the shape they once were, and there’s a lot more blue sea than before. What’s worst of all is the view at night. In the past, there were regions of light all over; the cities and towns. Now, there are a lot less of them. Some cities have disappeared altogether.
London, my old home, is among them.
I didn’t have family there, but a few friends and colleagues. I hope they managed to escape before the city drowned.
Earth is the past. Mars is the future.
***
ONCE AGAIN, I’M HELPINGBastian in the machine room. And once again, I’m holding cables for him, making sure they don’t tangle. It’s a boring job, but being in his company makes it a lot better.
I help him most mornings, and we’ve had a lot of time to talk. Today though, he’s unusually quiet. I’m trying to keep up conversation, but his answers are short.
“What’s wrong?” I finally ask when he doesn’t react at all to a joke I thought to be quite funny.
He sighs. “I’ve been thinking...”
He pauses.
“Yes?” I ask after he doesn’t continue.
“I’m jealous.”
“What?”
“Of Han. I should have made the first move, but he was quicker. If I’d acted before him, you’d be mine now.” He sighs again. “I shouldn’t be saying this, I know how happy you are with him. But it’s getting harder every day, seeing you two. I want to be a part of it. I want more than just friendship. I’ve wanted it from the beginning. I know this is totally unprofessional, but I can’t help it. I don’t want to hide the truth from you.”
His shoulders droop as he looks at me sadly. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be telling you this. I don’t want you to have to choose between him and me. I know you’d choose him.”
My mind is swirling. He likes me. He wants me. Just like I want him. Have wanted him ever since I pushed that stray lock out of his face. Ever since he opened his eyes and looked at me with his intense gaze.
“When you were asleep,” I begin slowly, “I had this delusion that all of us were in love. That I was with all six of you. That I didn’t have to choose.”
I check for his reaction, but he doesn’t say anything.
“There are conventions on Earth, but there are no rules up here. Yes, they say that there shouldn’t be relationships in the colony, but things have changed. We are the only ones left. Why should we follow Earth traditions when we’re on a different planet? Here, we can mould our own society. And if I want to be with two men, who is to say it isn’t possible?”
A small smile is beginning to form on his lips.
“Does that mean you want to be with me?”
I let the cables drop to the floor.
“Yes, you silly man.”
