But today, right now, he’s here. We’re together. Maybe it’s horribly wrong to wish the hands of time stall, to slow the repairs on Ravok’s spaceship. Perhaps it’s shameless, hoping for another kiss… but I can’t deny wanting one.
Ravok is my guest here, and our time together has an expiration date. We could keep it light; have some fun and make some memories together. Why not, right? Life is a medley of stories, some hilarious, some sad, some romantic – all of them a blend of heartache and joy. I wonder what Ravok would think of my idea. Based on that kiss, I don’t think he’d be repulsed. But he’s an alien so who knows. I don’t want him to feel pressured.
He’ll have to leave, sooner rather than later and I know instinctively that I will miss him. Who wouldn’t? He can be a bit arrogant, but he’s also been so kind and has tried so hard to bridge the gap of our language barrier. He never got snippy or gave me attitude for not understanding him. It’s the chance of a lifetime to get to know a being from another planet. I would be a moron not to take this opportunity. And he seems so sweet to me. He’s also gruff and somewhat haughty, but that almost adds to his appeal. I will miss him, I realize. Even so, I wouldn’t change a thing. For now, I return my gaze to his luminescent eyes. Enjoy it while it lasts, I remind myself.
The birds of the forest sing around us as we emerge from the woods and skirt around the lake. Looking up, I can see a few white fluffy clouds scattered above head. I’m accustomed to the hustle and bustle of city life and am unused to the peace and quiet. It’s so beautiful here. The sun reflecting off the lake catches against his silvery skin, and the look in his eyes makes me feel like the only star in the galaxy.
We continue our trek with pleasant, nonsensical banter, keeping my worries at bay. By the time we leave the lake behind and head back into the woods, I’m inordinately aware of his presence, his form a solid comfort beside me.
“I am indebted to you, Leelee,” Ravok says, pulling me from my reverie. “You could have ignored the crash, the disturbance, and yet you did not. You chose to save me, a stranger from an unknown world. I still can’t figure out how you managed to get me from the crash site to your dwelling without help. It was a truly impressive feat, and I am thankful.”
“I’m so glad that I happened to be out watching the fireworks and saw the crash. It was just pure luck. If I hadn’t happened to see a sign for the town festival and decided to stop by, I would’ve never been anywhere near here. The same thing if Koko hadn’t offered me the cabin after breaking the back window of my car. Then, if she hadn’t told me that the view of fireworks over the lake behind the cabin was breathtaking, I would’ve never seen the crash when it happened. It was all luck. But I’m glad I saw the crash and got to meet you.”
I look at his alien form in the shadow under the canopy of trees overhead, more beautiful and enticing than anyone or anything I’ve ever laid eyes on. The dewy chill of the late spring morning can’t reach me – his warmth, both physical and emotional, wraps me up.
“Well, then, I’m thankful for luck,” he murmurs.
“Me too, Ravok.”
Our eyes meet, and something unspoken passes between us, a connection deeper than I could have ever expected when I left my old apartment and got on the road to Aunt Zizi’s place.
CHAPTER 32
Ravok
Tiny rivulets of sweat trail down my back as I push my ship. My vessel is not cumbersome. The heat from the sun above my head is causing some of the sweat, but more so because of Leelee’s nearness. I cast a sideways glance at her. She’s perched on the wing of my spacecraft, her face turned skyward in relaxed bliss.
She radiates a warmth reminiscent of my home star; her tangled, chestnut curls bounce in the wind and brush teasingly against her shoulders. There’s an ethereal quality to her – one that tugs at something deep within me. Suddenly, everything else fades away, and all I can focus on is her – the pink of her cheeks, the smile lines at the corner of her eyes, her aura of goodness. Everything about Leelee is captivating.
With her eyes closed and her lips curved in a slight smile, it makes me think of the look on her face the moment before we kissed. That kiss… On Cryzor, it would have been a forbidden act, not yet earned through acts of service to my people. I wonder if it is the same here. I now understand why some of my people gamble their lives for such intimacy. I would risk everything to feel Leelee’s lips against my own, even if only one more time.
When I know that I should be watching for danger, all my focus is on Leelee. It is my duty to keep her safe, so I force my attention back to our surroundings. My eyes scan back from the forest’s edge to my ship, flickering briefly to Leelee. I stare, unable to look away yet.
I am annoyed with myself. Another human could easily wander into the area, and I would be caught unaware because I am captivated by my rescuer.
“There’s the cabin and garage,” Leelee announces, pointing down the path. Her sweet, chirping voice carries through the forest as lovely as any bird, either on Earth or Cryzor. The sight of the small outbuilding, the ‘garage’ Leelee described, sparks a flare of hope within me. It appears large enough for my ship to fit entirely inside. I hadn’t paid the structure any attention when we left the cabin earlier, so I am relieved this will work out for us.
Leelee hops off the ship’s wing and lands on the ground before I can offer my assistance. Her curly hair bounces as she skips over to open the large bay door of the building. I watch her go, a fondness sparking in my chest. I remain alone for a moment with my starcraft before finally following Leelee to the temporary workshop.
Once I steer my ship inside the garage, Leelee pulls down the large, creaky door. With a loud, drawn-out screech, it falls shut, sequestering us away from the prying eyes of the world. Walking over to one of the dusty walls, Leelee flips a switch, and a bulb overhead blinks to life. It reveals a dusty, cobweb-ridden room that looks run down and long abandoned.
And I thought the dwelling where Leelee lives was a hovel. This is… neglected, filthy squalor. There is a layer of dust on every surface and air of abandoned dereliction. I shudder at the thought of spending more than a few minutes here much less having to touch anything within this building.
I survey this ‘garage’. This space and its contents do not fill me with hope. I scratch subtly at my jawline, running various scenarios through my mind, trying to figure out what to do if this building does not provide me with the supplies I require.
Biting her lower lip in worry, Leelee stands beside me, joining me as we survey the space. The garage is old, filled with a myriad of forgotten tools and lost-in-time machinery. I think that Leelee can sense my unease, at how strange and underwhelming this place is to me. But I see something familiar in her eyes – a tenacity that matches my own – a determination as deep and wide as a black hole.
Nudging me gently with her shoulder, Leelee tries to comfort me with words, “I know it’s not… This place is not… Even if we can’t find what we need in here to fix your ship, we’ll find a way. We won’t give up. We’ll get you back into outer space,” she promises.
I stare at Leelee’s profile as she looks around the garage, her brows wrinkled in worry. Something hot blooms inside my chest – something so big that my body shouldn’t be able to contain it. How lucky am I that I was saved by such a unique, wonderful being? In all the universe, I’ve never met her equal.
Leelee wanders around the space, unaware that a shift has happened inside me, which tilts my understanding of the universe on its axis. These feelings are as foreign and uncharted as an uninhabited planet’s terrain, raging within my chest and threatening to spill out. I’m overcome with the urge to try and tell Leelee how I’m feeling, even though I’m not sure I understand them myself.
Despite the quiet of the room and Leelee’s presence, I lock my feelings behind the steel walls of my heart, opting for silence. I’m a Cryzorian – we conquer, we do not unveil our vulnerabilities. Yet, the mere sight of Leelee in this dirty space, trying to offer her kind-hearted help, sets off an incandescent glow in my cold heart. It is alien – this glow, these feelings – yet strangely comforting. It is something I can carry with me once I have to inevitably leave this planet, and Leelee, behind.
I am fundamentally changed.
Before I can fall victim to the urge to share my thoughts, Leelee wanders over to a large metal set of wheeled drawers. She starts opening drawers and examining their contents. I walk over to join her. It is probably good that I did not voice the thoughts swirling through my mind. I don’t know what to do with these unfamiliar feelings inside me. I need time to meditate on them.
I offer Leelee a slight nod, managing a smile of gratitude. Standing at her side, we stare into the contents of the drawers, which reveal a jumble of tools. All of these instruments are primitive, and none are up to the quality I’m accustomed to, but it’s a start, and at this moment, a start is all I need – a place to rest, heal, and fix my ship with a lovely companion at my side.
With a sense of rising optimism, I turn from the cabinet, scanning my eyes over the garage’s humble interior. It’s no Cryzorian workshop, no den of advanced cosmic machinery, but it just might do. A ripple of hope stirs in me, fueled by the sight of Leelee’s determined look, her face illuminated by the dust-tinted rays of sunlight filtering through the grime-covered windows.
Leelee sneezes suddenly, making me startle at the loud noise. Mumbling an apology, she mutters something about dust. She turns and heads over to one of the dirt-encrusted windows.
“Leelee, what are—” I start to question as she wrestles with the stubborn panes of glass. Her hands are smeared with dirt and grime, a testament to her determination.
“We need fresh air. The dust is getting to my sinuses,” she grunts out as she fights with the glass panel. When she gets the window to slide open with a protesting groan, Leelee turns to me with a triumphant grin.
As she dusts her hands on her pants, I turn my attention back to the tools and analyze each one of them, skimming my fingers over the assortment. A few of them are familiar enough, mirroring the ones I’ve used previously. The rest… They’re primitive, but every civilization had to start somewhere, and their basic principles are universal. A twist here, a pull there – they will serve their purpose.
My eyes land on a haphazard stack of spooled wire next. Copper, silver, aluminum… Hopefully, I can make these work. I may have to melt a few of them down to extract the metal. These earthly metals may lack the same properties as Cryzorian telrinite, but their conductivity and resilience might just restore my ship’s faltering systems.
My heart tightens in my chest, both pleased and saddened by the prospect of escaping this planet. Soon, I might be out amongst the stars again, exploring new galaxies.
I can’t stay. I hold onto that stern reminder, passing my gaze over every inch of this humble garage, pondering just how we can achieve with the few resources at hand. But with Leelee by my side, I feel like even the impossible can be made possible.
