She melted against him, her hands going to his shoulders as her velvet hat tickled his nose.
“This is the song we danced to last year, do you remember?” he asked.
“I remember. I put it on the playlist five times,” she said, avoiding his eyes and, if he wasn’t mistaken, blushing a little under her make-up.
“You had to teach me.”
“Hardly. You just didn’t want to do it.”
“I wanted to. I wanted to dance for you desperately.”
She squeezed his shoulder. “You dance with me all the time. And you’re very good at it.”
He chuckled. “Thank you. I want to spin you. Ready?”
She nodded, and he led her into a spin, watching her skirt lift and flow as she twisted away from him until only their hands were touching. He tugged and she came back to him. She grinned up at him. They had learned that in their class. Ro liked that humans danced in pairs. He liked it a lot.
Once she was back in his arms, he slowed them down again into the gentle, artless rotation she had pressed him into the year before. “You told me everyone can slow dance.”
“And I was right.”
He smiled. “You were.” He leaned back just enough to see her face. “I thought you were magical that night. I was already obsessed with you, but… We don’t have angels, but you could have been one that night. It was as if you had come just to give me everything I had ever wanted. Too perfect by far.”
He remembered it perfectly, how he had been living with a lifetime of want burning just under the surface, so close to her but never close enough. He remembered the torture of watching her dance with other men, of her so beautiful and asking him over and over for a dance he thought he couldn’t give her. It had been a knife in his heart she had pulled out when she moved his arms around her and showed him he didn’t understand as much as he thought he did. She had changed everything for him, so quickly. They were so comfortable with each other now, but back then… It felt like another life.
Maggie stared up him, her blue eyes shining. “You have no idea how much I wanted you that night. Everything around me just felt like… an inconvenience. All I wanted was a moment with you. I was determined to be your friend, but I wanted something I could… take with me. A memory.”
“And then you kissed me.”
“Yeah, well… I couldn’t resist,” she said, smiling.
“I’m glad.” He leaned down until their noses brushed, looking into her eyes from inches away. He had his lenses in, so she wouldn’t get lost in his eyes the way she sometimes did, but that wasn’t what he wanted anyway. He wanted her aware, so they could share this moment together.
“Me too,” she agreed.
He kissed her, her lips soft and human against his. He moved his hands to pull her closer.
From the door, he heard a harsh male hiss. Ro broke away from Maggie to look, and saw Kez, his lip drawn back in a look of bored disdain, even as he kept his arm draped over Bia’s shoulders and their claws locked together. “There is a line of embarrassed humans forming outside, you know.” Then he dropped the act and grinned.
“Oh my god…” Maggie mumbled, pushing away from Ro and running her fingertip around the edge of her lips, trying to tidy her lipstick if it had smudged. She trotted away to the door to invite people in as Kez and Bia made their way to Ro.
“You have something…” Kez waved a claw at his mouth, and Ro wiped the back of his hand against it, seeing it come away smudged with red. Kez was still smirking, enjoying it. “It’s not a good look.”
Ro gave him a glare. When he inhaled to reply, he caught the distinct scent of an approaching heat coming off both of them. He rubbed his nose. He absolutely did not need to know what Kez smelled like in heat, but it was already too late.
“You decided to risk it then?” he muttered quietly. Every Balin or Balor in the room would know what their scent meant.
“We won’t be staying long,” Kez replied, his voice stiff and sheltered as his self-satisfied smile dropped.
“It’s good to see you, Ro,” Bia said as if she hadn’t heard them. She made a movement as if to touch him or get out from under Kez’s arm, but he tensed and pulled her back.
“Touch him and I’ll kill him,” Kez murmured to her, turning his face to hold her eyes as his crest unfurled.
“He’s your friend!” she objected.
“That won’t stop me,” he promised her.
Ro watched as Bia’s lips parted and she stared at Kez as if utterly ensnared. He wondered if that was how Maggie looked to others when he caught her with his eyes. He looked away, nose wrinkling at the display.
“You teased me for kissing my mate and you come here smelling like this?”
Bia jolted and looked at the floor, but she didn’t look embarrassed. She looked smug more than anything.
Kez grumbled and combed his crest back down with his free hand, though it took a few tries. “Bia wanted to see it. We’ll go soon.”
“If you start a fight, Maggie will be upset,” he warned. Kez wasn’t the only one who could make threats, even if Ro didn’t have the crest to back it up.
“I won’t as long as this one stays right where she is,” Kez replied, giving Bia another tug. “Isn’t that right, shalzai?”
“Yes, enur,” she breathed as they stared at each other.
Ro suppressed a shudder and walked away to rejoin Maggie before he found out even more he didn’t want to know about their relationship.
He found her talking to some of their colleagues from Enquiries and stood next to her, his hand resting on her back as they laughed over impossible calls they had received and followed up on cases she had passed on. They ate, and drank the spiced punch Catering had put together for them. They danced, showing off their salsa moves and laughing as they fumbled, trying to fit them to a song about snow and sleighbells. They posed for photos. They kissed under mistletoe.
Kez and Bia found them to say goodbye after an hour and a half. Kez’s crest was standing but Ro didn’t comment on it. He could tell things had progressed as far as they possibly could, and they were wisely removing themselves before they got worse. Not that it was any noble sacrifice, Ro knew they were going to race home so they could fuck until they collapsed. Bia was breathing quickly, but she hugged Maggie and thanked her for the party, and Maggie thanked them for coming.
“Thanks for making an effort, Kez, I know it’s not really your style.”
“What?”
Maggie gestured at his robes. “The red and green?”
He looked down at himself. “Oh. Yes. We must leave now.” He steered Bia out and Ro noticed her slump against him.
“Will they be alright?” Maggie asked. “I mean, to drive?”
Ro shrugged. “If they’re not, they can always fuck in his van.”
Maggie bit her lip to keep from laughing and tapped him lightly on the chest to reprimand him for his teasing. “Oh, don’t,” she said, her eyes sparkling. “You should have more sympathy. It happens to you too.” She turned to head back to the drinks table.
He caught up with her, putting his arm around her waist. “Yes, and I would never come to a party if I was that close to it.”
“Even if I wanted to?”
“Even then.”
“Even if I really, really wanted to?” She looked up at him, batting her eyelashes.
Ro hesitated. Even in the hypothetical, he couldn’t bring himself to dismiss it out of hand. “Alright, maybe I would. But I know you, you would not want to go to a party if I was going into heat. You always hover about making me food.”
“I don’t hover!”
“You do,” he smiled, pulling her against him. “And I love it.”
She kissed him, her lips playing lightly against his own, and for a moment he just let himself revel in her gentle attentions, remembering all the times she had taken care of him when his heat was coming.
When she broke away and settled back onto her heels, something ove
r his shoulder caught her eye. “Oh, look! It’s that security guy, the one the paparazzi got hold of last year. Do you think we should go say hi?”
Ro turned to look. The tall Volon with his distinctive white feathered crest and patterned scales down his arm was standing near the door, holding hands with a human woman with straight dark hair and a dark suit.
They had never met in person before, though when the story of their relationship had broken, everyone had learned their names. Khy and Anna. Unlike Tol, a Volin in Security, Khy didn’t work the check-in desk where employees and their belongings were scanned before they entered the building. Despite not being friends, there was a certain sense of kinship. Ro and Maggie were also in a Teissian-Human relationship, and when the backlash had hit and the protests had started, they had all felt it.
In early January, Khy and Anna had started a hashtag, #JustAKiss, posted on social media with a selfie of the two of them. It had taken off, and inter-species couples around the world had done the same in support. Ro remembered Maggie showing it to him on her Gadjit one day as he’d sat on the sofa.
“Should we do it too?” she had asked, worrying her lip.
Ro knew Maggie was not ashamed of him. She wanted him too much. She loved him. It wasn’t being associated with him that she had been afraid of, it was being targeted by the protesters. She hadn’t pushed him. If he had said no, she wouldn’t have argued. But he didn’t want her to be afraid, and he didn’t want other Teissians like himself to be afraid either. He didn’t want to let others fight on his behalf, when it was a simple thing to post a picture of their love online. He owed so much to Maggie and her love for him that he didn’t want to hide it.
So he had shrugged and made room for her on the sofa and when her camera was ready he had kissed her cheek, then he’d turned her face to his and kissed her lips, hearing the little clicks of the camera. The Gadjit had fallen out of her hand as he had pressed her down onto the cushions and slid his hand under her shirt and his tongue against hers, going on to suggest some other photos they could take, or perhaps a video.
It was a good memory.
“Why not?” Ro said, taking Maggie’s hand and walking over to the other couple.
“Hi, welcome!” Maggie called, acting the hostess.
“Hello,” Anna replied, returning her smile, though hers was much more reserved. “Did you organise this?”
She had an accent that made Ro want to rub his ears, used only to Americans and specifically Californians. Khy gave them a nod.
“I did! I do it every year, it’s just a little fun for everyone, you know,” Maggie continued.
Anna and Khy shared a secretive look.
“Dangerous fun,” Khy said. “I ended up mated thanks to this party.”
Anna elbowed him in the side. “You had your chance to get away.”
“Did I? Because as I recall, someone-”
She elbowed him again, harder this time, and he hissed faintly, covering the spot with his hand. He gave her a heated look, and didn’t say anything else.
“I’m Maggie, and this is Ro. We work in Enquiries.” Maggie held her hand out for Anna to shake, and Ro offered the same to Khy. “Oh, you’re married? Congratulations.” Maggie said, tipping Anna’s hand to show the gold ring.
She smiled a little dreamily, and pulled her hand back to fiddle with the ring. “Thank you.”
“I remember all that stuff that happened last year…” Maggie began carefully. “I just wanted to say you really made a difference for us.” She tucked her hand into Ro’s, letting that be the statement. He noticed as the couple’s eyes took it in.
“We weren’t trying to make a big statement…” Anna said a little uncomfortably.
“Oh no, I know, but… I just wanted to say thanks.”
“Well, you’re welcome, I guess.” She laughed, “You’ve made a difference for us by throwing this party. It’s kind of sentimental to be back.”
“Maybe we’ll even remember it this time,” Khy said, giving her a wry smile.
“We definitely won’t drink as much.”
“I left my flask at home.”
“We’ve got this.” She held up her fist, and Khy gave her a careful bump, folding his claws down to his wrist.
“The refreshments are that way if you change your mind,” Maggie said, indicating with one hand and a mischievous smile.
Anna laughed. “Thanks. I’m sure a little wouldn’t hurt.”
As she walked away with Khy, Ro heard him say “Let’s just try not to be caught on camera this time.”
Ro and Maggie watched them go. “It’s funny, isn’t it? That they got together on the same night we did,” she said.
“Isn’t that the point of a party? To bring people together?” Ro answered, turning to her.
“And some might say, it’s the point of the holidays.”
“We didn’t stand a chance.”
“Nope.” Maggie pinched his sweater and pulled him down to her for a kiss. “It was fate.”
They mingled some more, chatting to people from other departments. Maggie stopped the music to hand out the Secret Santa gifts, and Ro thought about his presents for her hidden at home. It would be their first Christmas together. It felt almost strange that they could still have firsts. It felt like they’d been together forever, and would continue to be together forever, but last year Maggie had gone to stay with her parents, and Ro had spent the 25th with the other Balin at the dorms.
He had watched Christmas movies, both alone and with Maggie, in order to prepare this year. He knew what Christmas involved. A decorated pine tree, snow, candy canes, sugar cookies, a feast, Santa, reindeer, and presents. He knew it was originally a religious holiday, but when he asked Maggie about it, she’d said she wasn’t invested in that part. She liked carols, she liked the story of a baby born in a stable and a star in the sky, and kings mingling with shepherds, but she didn’t go to church and didn’t need him to either.
Still, he was a little nervous. He wanted to get it right. He knew that even if he didn’t, he would have other opportunities, but… He never liked to fail, or reveal that he didn’t know something, or stumble over something a human man would do naturally because he had grown up doing it. Maggie always chastised him for those thoughts, but he never wanted her to miss out because she was with him. He wanted her to have everything she wanted. He didn’t want to be a hindrance to her.
This year, she was being gentle with him, he knew. He had heard her negotiating with her family that they not all spend it together. Instead of the two of them going to her parents’ house as Maggie normally did, they would spend Christmas by themselves, and Maggie’s parents would come to visit on the 27th. Then, when they left after a few days, Maggie’s sister Willa would visit for New Year’s Eve.
Maggie had seemed to think he wouldn’t be able to handle her whole family at once on the biggest holiday of the year. Maybe she was right. She would know better than he would. Still, it worried him that she thought like that. Did she think he would embarrass her? Or that her family wouldn’t welcome him?
He was brought out of those thoughts by a Volin male bumping into him when he was pushed from behind by a drunk couple spinning off the dancefloor. He held up a hand to show he meant no offence.
“Sorry,” he muttered, and Ro shook his head.
“It was nothing.”
The Volin looked at him again. “Don’t I know you?”
“I don’t… think so?” Ro returned, studying the male’s face, looking for anything familiar. He had green scales, yellow eyes, and brassy feathers in his crest, nothing distinctive that would help Ro place him.
“You…” The Volin pointed, nodding, and then started looking around as if he thought Ro was hiding something behind his back. He moved his claw to Maggie, who was talking to some other guests from upstairs. “Your mate?”
“Yes.” Ro wasn’t sure whether he should be on guard or not.
The Volin smiled. “I thought I recog
nised your…” He rubbed his claw against his own cheek, to suggest Ro’s colours. “I am Zir, I set up your phone when you started work. I work in I.T. I also have a human mate.” He looked over his shoulder, then pulled a brunette woman under his arm. “This is Lois.”
“Hello,” she said with a small smile and a nod, before turning to her mate. “Zir, that was rude, I was talking to someone.”
“I am also talking to someone. He has a human mate too.”
Lois rolled her eyes. “It’s not a special club.”
Zir frowned. “We took pictures.”
She opened her mouth to reply but Ro felt Maggie touch his back gently, stepping up to join the conversation.
“Maggie, this is Zir and Lois. Zir works in I.T.”
“Hello,” Maggie said, holding out her hand. Lois shook it, and then Zir. “I work in Enquiries.”
“I know. I was just saying that I set up the phone line…” he gestured at Ro, who realised he hadn’t introduced himself.
“Ro.”
“That Ro works on.” Zir looked pleased with himself.
“That was last year! You must have a good memory,” Maggie said, smiling.
“Not really. He was easy to remember. He was wearing human clothes!” Zir looked down at Ro’s feet, and pointed. “Much better now.”
Ro tensed, embarrassed, and Maggie rubbed his back, out of sight.
Lois turned her face to her mate’s shoulder as if trying to be discreet though it wasn’t really possible. “I think you’re being tactless, babe.”
Zir frowned again. “No, I’m not, I’m being friendly.”
She turned back to Ro and Maggie. “I’m sorry about him, he doesn’t mean anything by it, he’s just… blunt.”
“I was being friendly,” Zir repeated almost petulantly this time, folding his arms across his chest. “You just don’t understand Teissian body language. If I wanted to offend him, I would have raised my crest, like this.” His feathers unfurled with a gentle whisping noise.
Ro stiffened even more, dropping his eyes, trying not to acknowledge the challenge he couldn’t answer.
Lois reached up and started pushing her mate’s crest back down again. “This is why I said we need to get out more.”
An Office Alien Christmas Collection (Office Aliens Book 5) Page 4
