An Alien Love B. 01

Hi again,

I have been painting my house between writing this, and I think I have an idea for a second story. I will have to see how this one goes. I don't always know the end of my stories when I start them. The first book I worked on, 1:05 a.m. had a totally different ending by the time it was published... so this could change too. I hope not. I have a great idea for where this is going to go!

Cheers.

~M~ from C.M. Moore.

***

*Chapter 11*

Keltrix's return.

Murry yawned as he walked down the halls.

When they reached Kel's rooms, Murry was ready to crash. After he was let into the place by Rhylent, he crawled into bed. Sleep eluded him. Was Kel alive? How long before they found him? Murry tossed and turned. What if they didn't find him and Murry didn't even help anyone?

The Nebos got annoyed with his spinning. The robe and pants slipped off as if the fabric were in a huff. Murry was left naked on top of the silks. After a few hours, Murry rose. He walked to the table and asked for warm milk or some drink to calm his nerves.

Sitting cross-legged on a pillow, he curled over a steaming cup of mystery liquid and sipped. The cup was empty, and Murry was no closer to falling asleep though it was now in the middle of the night. Just as he started to wonder if he could make it to the command center a second time, the door to the quarters opened.

Kel stepped inside.

The alien looked terrible. Most of his body was covered in blood or gashes and scratches. Part of his tube hair was missing on one side. The black tubes looked like they had been hacked off by a dull razor. His bottom left tentacle was wrapped in a pink bandage and tied to his leg.

Kel took a deep breath as their eyes met.

"It is good to see that you are safe." He frowned. "Saying that I look terrible is not very nice."

"You know I didn't actually say anything." Murry came to his feet. He wanted to wrap his arms around Kel and know he was alright, but the alien looked like Murry could topple him.

"I wish to wash, but I am too tired to play with your human toys. Show me how your shower works."

Murry nodded and reached out. He took the end of his left middle tentacle and led Kel to the bathroom. While Murry started the hot water and adjusted the temperature, Kel unwrapped his damaged tentacle. There were places that the flesh looked almost severed in half. As he stepped into the water, Keltrix gingerly cradled the appendage with his other tentacles.

"Are any of these cuts open?" Murry asked.

"No." Kel stood under the water. "If you would like to watch the fight, you can."

A glimpse of a sword-knife-legged giant spider creature flashed in Murry's brain. He rejected the image. That creepy picture was what nightmares were made of.

Instead of watching the fight as Kel offered, Murry got soap from the walls and began to lightly wash his alien's skin.

Kel didn't move as Murry hovered around him. The alien simply stood under the hot light spray as Murry removed the dried blood and softly caressed over his damaged skin. Kel's back was a crisscross of lashes like he'd been whipped.

When Murry was done, he led Kel to the bedroom. The Nebos moved up the alien's body as they did for Murry. On the bed, the Nebos had supplied new pink fabric. Kel stood still while the Nebos wrapped his flayed tentacle and once more secured the limb to his leg.

Murry crawled onto the bed and scooted to the side. He made a spot for Kel. Now that Keltrix was home, Murry's exhaustion hit a high point. He was starting to think it wasn't even his tiredness but a mix of Kel's and his together.

For a second, Kel hesitated and then got on the bed next to him.

"I am too tired to make good on our deal, Murry-cat." Kel murmured. "But I will later."

"What deal?" Murry set his head next to Kel. The Nebos drew their light silks over both him and Kel's frames and began to warm. The heat had Murry's eyes closing.

"You said you would help me if I let you come again."

Murry's eyes popped open. "You think that's why I helped you?"

"Why else?" Kel rolled over onto his back and made a squeak. Murry's mind briefly picked up on Kel's pain. The alien was trying his best to not let Murry know how much he hurt, but after spending all that time in the command center picking up on Kel, Murry had a tight connection. The alien couldn't hide his feelings and his pain as much as he thought he could.

"I would've helped you even if I never orgasmed again. All I wanted was for you to be safe and come home." Murry shook his head. His alien might be brilliant, but he was also a little dumb.

"I am not dumb. I do not understand." Kel turned on his side again. "I have never met any species that cares as you do. Only my siblings worry about me."

"What about the Nebos?"

"They care, but they do not think like a human. They do not talk and they are not curious and sweet and..." Kel's middle tentacle stroked down the side of Murry's face. "I do not know what this is inside of you. I feel it from you, and I see it in your brain. You are filled with this thing."

"I love you." Murry sighed. "That's what it is. It's love for you."

Murry expected that if he ever met someone, he would want them to say I love back to him. But this was different. Kel didn't know what love was or understand the emotion. Murry had no expectations for ever hearing the words returned. And that didn't matter to him. He loved Keltrix even if the alien didn't feel the same or understand him or thought of him like a cat.

Life was funny.

Murry rolled onto his back and closed his eyes. He should love a human, but at this point, he was too tired to figure out his love, attraction, or want of the alien creature next to him. Keltrix was right. He cared as hell of a lot about him. When he turned his head, he thought he would meet curious eyes and a smirk. He figured Kel would ask him to explain love.

Keltrix was asleep.