Page 52 of Technically Abducted
There's something vulnerable in his voice, like he's not sure how to process what he experienced through our connection. I understand—the empathic bond doesn't just share physical sensation, it shares emotional response as well. He felt my growing attachment, my satisfaction at his pleasure, my protectiveness and care.
"And how does that make you feel?" I ask carefully.
Finn is quiet for a moment, seeming to consider his answer. "Scared," he admits finally. "But also… safe? Which is weird, because those should be contradictory."
"Not contradictory," I say, understanding exactly what he means. "You feel safe enough to be scared. Safe enough to acknowledge vulnerability."
"Yeah," he says softly. "That's exactly it."
We remain connected for several more minutes, neither of us wanting to break the intimate contact. Eventually practical considerations require separation, but when Finn settles beside me on the seating platform, he stays close enough that we're still touching.
"Your parents were right about thevel'thani," he says eventually, reaching for the abandoned berries. "Definitely comfort food."
"I'll be sure to tell them you approved," I say, accepting a cream-covered strawberry from his fingers. "And the berries were definitely the right choice for dessert," I add, noting how his eyes darken as he watches me eat from his hand.
"Told you the mess was part of the appeal," Finn says with a grin.
As we finish the remaining fruit, feeding each other with deliberately sensual intent, I find myself thinking about comfort. Not just thevel'thani, though that achieved its intended purpose perfectly. But this—the cooking, the playful food sharing, the intimate connection, the way Finn looks completely relaxed against my side.
I have never experienced this level of comfort with another person. Never shared space so easily, never found such satisfaction in simple domestic activities, never felt so… complete.
The thought should disturb me. This assessment is temporary, Finn will return to Earth, and I will submit my report and move on to other assignments. Becoming attached serves no logical purpose.
But as I watch Finn lick cream from his fingers with obvious satisfaction, as I feel the gentle hum of our empathic connection carrying his contentment, I find myself less concerned with logic than I should be.
For now, this is enough. This comfort, this connection, this unprecedented experience of caring for someone who cares for me in return.
Whatever the future holds, I will treasure this.
Chapter Fifteen
Finn
We're both sticky and thoroughly satisfied, cream and come drying on our skin in ways that would normally make me immediately want a shower. But lying here against Tev'ra's chest, feeling our empathic connection flowing between us, I'm reluctant to move.
"We should clean up," Tev'ra says eventually, his voice still rough from our activities. "The hydration pools would be ideal."
The moment he says it, my stomach clenches with familiar anxiety. The pool. Deep water. Water I can't swim in, can barely float in even with his help. The apprehension hits me like a physical wave, and I know Tev'ra feels it immediately through our bond because his arms tighten around me.
"There are cleaning facilities available if you would prefer not to bathe in the pools," he says carefully, his tone gentle and non-judgmental. "Whatever makes you most comfortable."
I sit up, looking down at him. His golden eyes are warm with understanding, no trace of impatience or disappointment. Just acceptance. But the thought of separating, of him going to the pools while I use some sterile cleaning facility, doesn't feel right either.
"I want to be with you," I say quietly. "I just... the deep water..."
"The smaller pool," Tev'ra suggests, sitting up as well. "You were comfortable there before."
"But you want to really swim, don't you?" I can see it in his expression, the way he talked about the deeper sections. "I mean, actually swim, not just help me learn to float in the kiddie pool."
Tev'ra's bioluminescence flickers. "Your comfort is more important than my swimming preferences."
"But I want you to be comfortable too." I pause, processing what I'm about to suggest. "What if... what if I stayed in the deep pool but just held onto the edge? Like, I wouldn't go in the water-water, I'd just... hang on the side?"
"Finn." Tev'ra's voice is very gentle. "That pool has no shallow end. If you're holding the edge, you're in water that's over your head."
My throat goes dry just thinking about it. Water over my head. Water where I can't touch the bottom, can't save myself if something goes wrong. But the alternative is being separated from Tev'ra, and somehow that feels worse.
"You'd be right there," I say, more to convince myself than him. "You could... you could see me the whole time?"
