Page 27 of The Death Striker's Partner
He locks his gaze with mine and captures me. I’m suddenly very aware how close Tumva’s face is to mine. Our hands are on each other’s collars and the mood is suddenly very…I don’t know. Intense? Curious? “A-and did I mention I’mareallygood shot? So your neck is safe too.” I try to play down the mood but damn, Tumva’s stare is just…steamy.
My masochistic mind brought up the Xeno-porn I’ve been unable to forget. Of scales sliding over skin and the erotic look on the human woman’s face as she climbed her Ucfeni partner to utter ecstasy. I look at Tumva’s black scaly lips and his tongue flicks out towards me.
“Ahem?” We both turn to look at Ezid who for some reason is grinning so wide his jaw membranes are showing. I blush and we simultaneously release each other’s collars. Much to my embarrassment, various officers are whispering and laughing together at what must have appeared to be an intimate moment between me and Tumva. “Well I have to say I had my doubts when Tumva asked to become your sponsor and make you his partner, but it’s clear that you two are getting alongreallywell.”
“Yes sir.” I answer and Tumva snaps his head to look down at me with his mouth open in shock. “Tumva is an excellent teacher and I trust him with my life. He’s my friend, and he’s badass.” I raise my hand and wait for him to give me themostawkward fist bump ever. It’s adorable really.
“…a huh…” Ezid looks between us and slowly smiles. “Believe me when I say I’m happy to hear that.” Tumva looks to our Pitboss with confusion. “Just remember our professional conduct policy when in the workplace. What you do in your own time and in your own nest is your own business, but at work you need to be on point at all times.”
“Ofcoursewe-”
“Yes sir.” I cut Tumva off and salute Ezid, who chuckles and nods to us both before slithering away.
“Hannah?” Tumva seems startled and takes my hand to guide me to one side for a private word. “Do you understand what Ezid just implied?” I opened my mouth to reply, but hedidn’t give me the chance. “He just accused us of being more than partners, and warned us not to be intimate at work. And you didn’t make him think otherwise? Before the day is out the entire pit is going to think you and I are…courting.”
“…is that…a problem?” I glanced warily around us, not wanting to be overheard. “I don’t mind if people think we’re dating.” I think all the colour would have drained from his scales, if it was possible. “Do you mind?”
“No.” He didn’t even hesitate and I smiled coyly up at him. Gotcha.
“Well, in that case, I think I know how I’m going to make today’s patrol up to you.” I sing, droppingthatbombshell on my partner and swagger away from him. He seems to have mentally stalled for a solid 30 seconds before he hurries after me.
“What do you mean by-”
“You heard the Pitboss? No fraternising at work.” He sways with shock at my flirting and I can tell he’s going to have a hard time keeping his mind on work. I have a bounce in my step and a giggle in my throat as we head to the travel basket.
“Hannah I need to know what you mea-” He starts to beg me, but we have company at the basket station. Much to my displeasure, Zefer and Morty arrive at the travel basket station at the same time as us.
“I hear you two are headed for the palace?” Morty shakes his head with disbelief. “You realise that if you screw up in front of the Royals, you can kiss your career goodbye, right?”
“Maybe that’s why Ezid gave the patrol to them?” Zefer added and my good mood soured. “Come on Morty.” Zefer opened the basket and coiled up inside as he waited for Morty to sit securely in the middle of his tail. “Later losers.”
“Are you 12?” I snort and look at Tumva whilst throwing a thumb at the pair of them. “Seriously? How are these jerks Peacekeepers?”
“Because we’re decent officers peopletrust.”Morty closed the basket door and smirked at us. “People runtous to report a crime. They take one look at Tumva and run in theoppositedirection.”
“How Ezid got clearance to let a Death Striker on the force is beyond me.” Zefer hissed and I stormed forward to whip the basket door open and give him a piece of my mind, but Tumva held my shoulders to hold me back. Ireallydon’t like those two. They were laughing, so damn amused with themselves, as the basket lifted up towards the ground level.
“No offence, but if those guys were on fire, I wouldn’t pee on them to put it out.” Tumva snorted to one side, his hands still on my shoulders and I turned my head to the side to look into his black eyes. In a very snake-like way his neck curved around my side to look at me. Again, his face was very close to mine.
“Don’t take their bait. They are trying to get a rise out of you. Trust me? Their bite lacks venom.”
“…yeah, well, they’re still jerks.” I pout and he pushed my shoulders to walk forward into the next travel basket.
“And we need to focus on our own patrol.” He chuckled, the cold stoic veil he wore around others having dropped now we are alone in the travel basket. I raised a brow as he sat me on his tail, as usual…but a bithigherthan normal. Not high enough to straddle him…but close enough to make me blush. His tail coiled around my legs to secure me and the basket swayed as we started to ascend. “When we get back to our nest…I’d like to talk about…well…” Tumva looms down towards the pit and then back to me, but doesn’t look me in the eye. “…you know…” I smile, knowing what he’s trying to say but he’s too shy to get it out. “About…”
“Is anyone looking?”
“…?” He cants his head to one side and then looks around with more flexibility than a human neck would allow. “No?” I’m not 100% sure he’s going to respond the way I hope he will, soI’m gentle as I reach up to cup the left side of his face. He tenses and watches me with alarm.
“We’ll talk after our shift.” I smile, coy with a shy but hopeful edge. “But? There’s a reason I don’t mind if the others think we’re a couple.”
“…is there?”
“Yeah.” My heart is racing and I decide to take the plunge. “Because I think we should be. A couple. Dating.” There, I said it. Adrenaline thunders through my veins and I’m nervously giddy that I’ve plucked up the nerve to confess to him like a damn teenager at high school.
I’ve dated guys in the past plenty. Some casual, some serious, but they never worked out. I’d given up trying for the last 3 years and no guy I ever had chemistry with was capable of being part of my life. Not working around the multiple jobs I had to work to support Billie, her education, and our apartment. Even when she moved into her own place, I was still working off her student debt. One thing Allico Inc did was pay it off before we left.
But here, on Thelia, this isn’t a temporary thing. I’m never going back to Earth and settling down is something I can honestly think about doing now. I’m a long way off whatever the Thelian version of marital bliss is, but dating is a nice concept I haven’t considered for a while. Tumva appeared when I needed him the most, and he’s honestly a nice guy. I don’t give a damn if everyone behaves like he’s the boogie man. With me he is kind, attentive, and it helps that I think he’s sexy as hell. I was never one to wait around like a damsel for a guy to approach me. I’ve been teasing him, looking for an opening like this one ever since the seed of possibility landed in my head. I willneveradmit that Xeno-porn made me consider having an Ucfeni partner, and then changed how I looked at Tumva as a potential boyfriend. Never in a million years.
