just moments he had been terribly preoccupied by thoughts of the mechanics of Eunnoian sex.
"Have trust," Jhuun said, glancing over to assure himself that Bianca and Xhani were now conversing and not listening in. "I would gladly eat the protein dishes from the cafeteria rather than taste nakhema again. You must never taste any dish offered to you by Xhani."
Gabriel chuckled. "I'll remember that."
"Maybe, if things change in the future," Jhuun said, his gaze dropping to the generator. "I'll take you to visit my homeworld. You could try some lokun."
"That'd be nice," Gabriel said. The thought of getting away from the space stations and back on solid ground somewhere was nice. "And maybe I'll treat you to a shawarma one day. Maybe you'll find that chicken tastes like lokun."
"I would like that very much," Jhuun said. He smiled that strangely wide smile of his, and for a moment, Gabriel wondered if he'd just agreed to a date.
Gabriel stretched and groaned, wincing as his back popped, cracked and made a few other alarming sounds. A whole day twisted underneath the shield generator had left him sore, though the pulse of the hot water from the shower had somewhat helped loosen his tense muscles.
He stepped across his quarters over to the bed, still naked from the shower. It was late and he was way overdue for bed and had gotten into the habit of sleeping naked. It was simply more comfortable in the heat of Section 27.
Gabriel lay across his bed, fanning his arms out, letting his body air-dry. As his thoughts drifted sleepily, he found himself wondering what Jhuun did to prepare for bed and whether or not he also slept naked. Before he knew it, he had already formed an image in his head of the alien sprawled out on his own bed, skin shining with moisture, sighing in delight as the air dried his body.
With a start, Gabriel opened his eyes, staring up at the plain gray ceiling. Without even realizing it, he'd been running a hand down his bare stomach, gliding dangerously close to his cock. With a huffing sigh, he raised his head and saw that he was already fully erect. What the hell had that come from?
Glaring, he rolled off the bed to pull the bedcovers free, sliding underneath the warm blanket, trying to ignore the heat that suffused his body and settled tantalizingly in his cock. He hadn't had sex since Marcus passed away, hadn't even thought about it, or wanted it, and now look at him. He'd had prurient thoughts about coworkers before, he'd had them about aliens. But to be suddenly having them about Jhuun was just…weird.
Enough already. He'd feel humiliated beyond anything if Jhuun found out what Gabriel was thinking about him. He rolled over, listening to his pulse hammering in his ears, and tried to will sleep to come.
Despite his previous restless night, Gabriel had to admit that being back in the workshop was pleasant, especially on this particular morning.
Jhuun's laugh had nothing Human about it—it was breathy, stuttered—Gabriel found he quite enjoyed the sound of it. Even if Jhuun was laughing at him.
"I apologize, I apologize," the alien said between breaths. The ridges on his chest were fluttering animatedly as he laughed. "I mean no offense. But your accent is amusing."
"Hey, I'm new to this," Gabriel protested, peering at his companion from his supine position. "You weren't kidding when you said your language was hard for Humans to learn."
He was lying under the shield generator, adjusting the frequency. They had tried all week, and so far failed, to find a shield frequency that would succeed in blocking the M-Alpha's deadly particle beam. Gabriel was optimistic now that his latest modification, covering the shield with a negative-ion barrier, would fare better. A few more adjustments and they would be ready to start testing.
"What did you say the phrase meant? The sky is violet? At least teach
"Have trust," Jhuun said, glancing over to assure himself that Bianca and Xhani were now conversing and not listening in. "I would gladly eat the protein dishes from the cafeteria rather than taste nakhema again. You must never taste any dish offered to you by Xhani."
Gabriel chuckled. "I'll remember that."
"Maybe, if things change in the future," Jhuun said, his gaze dropping to the generator. "I'll take you to visit my homeworld. You could try some lokun."
"That'd be nice," Gabriel said. The thought of getting away from the space stations and back on solid ground somewhere was nice. "And maybe I'll treat you to a shawarma one day. Maybe you'll find that chicken tastes like lokun."
"I would like that very much," Jhuun said. He smiled that strangely wide smile of his, and for a moment, Gabriel wondered if he'd just agreed to a date.
Gabriel stretched and groaned, wincing as his back popped, cracked and made a few other alarming sounds. A whole day twisted underneath the shield generator had left him sore, though the pulse of the hot water from the shower had somewhat helped loosen his tense muscles.
He stepped across his quarters over to the bed, still naked from the shower. It was late and he was way overdue for bed and had gotten into the habit of sleeping naked. It was simply more comfortable in the heat of Section 27.
Gabriel lay across his bed, fanning his arms out, letting his body air-dry. As his thoughts drifted sleepily, he found himself wondering what Jhuun did to prepare for bed and whether or not he also slept naked. Before he knew it, he had already formed an image in his head of the alien sprawled out on his own bed, skin shining with moisture, sighing in delight as the air dried his body.
With a start, Gabriel opened his eyes, staring up at the plain gray ceiling. Without even realizing it, he'd been running a hand down his bare stomach, gliding dangerously close to his cock. With a huffing sigh, he raised his head and saw that he was already fully erect. What the hell had that come from?
Glaring, he rolled off the bed to pull the bedcovers free, sliding underneath the warm blanket, trying to ignore the heat that suffused his body and settled tantalizingly in his cock. He hadn't had sex since Marcus passed away, hadn't even thought about it, or wanted it, and now look at him. He'd had prurient thoughts about coworkers before, he'd had them about aliens. But to be suddenly having them about Jhuun was just…weird.
Enough already. He'd feel humiliated beyond anything if Jhuun found out what Gabriel was thinking about him. He rolled over, listening to his pulse hammering in his ears, and tried to will sleep to come.
Despite his previous restless night, Gabriel had to admit that being back in the workshop was pleasant, especially on this particular morning.
Jhuun's laugh had nothing Human about it—it was breathy, stuttered—Gabriel found he quite enjoyed the sound of it. Even if Jhuun was laughing at him.
"I apologize, I apologize," the alien said between breaths. The ridges on his chest were fluttering animatedly as he laughed. "I mean no offense. But your accent is amusing."
"Hey, I'm new to this," Gabriel protested, peering at his companion from his supine position. "You weren't kidding when you said your language was hard for Humans to learn."
He was lying under the shield generator, adjusting the frequency. They had tried all week, and so far failed, to find a shield frequency that would succeed in blocking the M-Alpha's deadly particle beam. Gabriel was optimistic now that his latest modification, covering the shield with a negative-ion barrier, would fare better. A few more adjustments and they would be ready to start testing.
"What did you say the phrase meant? The sky is violet? At least teach
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