“I can’t make you come back, Cole, and I certainly can’t make you have any interest in me.” He swallowed hard. “I’d like it if you did, though. Max is right. You’re the best potential anchor I’ve met.”
Cole almost asked how he knew in so little time, then realized that was a dumb question to ask an empath. “Even though I don’t want to be an anchor?”
“Especially because you don’t.”
He thought for a moment. Three to five months was not a long time to find someone for the rest of Aiden’s life. Despite himself, Cole did like the guy. Aiden was refreshingly direct and honest, not to mention Cole felt sparks of attraction. The idea of Aiden being stuck with some jerk was disquieting because honestly, if they’d met under other circumstances Cole would be asking him out.
Against his initial plan, not to mention that unpleasant feeling of being exposed, he said, “I don’t need to leave in a hurry.”
Aiden smiled, a broad, beautiful smile. “I’m glad.”
Chapter Two
After twenty minutes of discussing sports, during which they learned they shared an appreciation of hover soccer, Aiden’s parents returned. Unless Cole’s mind was playing tricks on him they were happy.
“I see Aiden hasn’t kicked you out yet,” said Patrick, confirming Cole’s hunch.
“Dad!”
“We found a couple decent people, but Aiden said they were too boring.”
The man in question said, “I’ve seen pigeons with more personality.”
“Would you like to join us for lunch, Cole?” Maud asked. “I thought we might order from Aiden’s favorite café.”
“Their cheesecake is amazing,” said Aiden. “Highly recommended.”
Maud asked, “Shall I get you a menu?”
“No thanks. I’m not a picky eater, so I’ll have whatever you recommend.”
“The Reuben sandwich with baked kama chips and a slice of lemon cheesecake,” said Aiden. “They’ve just started sourcing the kama locally, and I swear you can taste the difference.”
“I thought kama didn’t grow here.” Last Cole had heard, the tuber stubbornly refused to thrive outside its native solar system.
“One farm has a special greenhouse set up with the right microbes in the soil and special lamps, which seems to be working. The results are delicious.”
“Sounds good. I’ll have the same.”
“We’ll put the order in.” Patrick then gave his wife a discreet tug on the way out the door so Cole and Aiden could once again enjoy some privacy.
“It’s more relaxing to order in,” said Aiden. “Going out means getting bombarded with so many emotions that I can’t enjoy my meal, and it’s been getting worse since my empathy has developed quickly. At least here there aren’t as many people, and I’m used to the neighbors. You’re disappointed. Did you want to go to the café?”
“No. I was going to ask if you wanted to come with me to the hover soccer game the day after tomorrow.”
“You mean as a date?”
“Er, yes?”
“That doesn’t sound very certain.”
“This whole being an anchor business was never my plan.” Cole thought for a second before figuring out how to explain his own motivation, how the feeling of losing privacy had been scarier before it was attached to a cute and fun man. “The thing is, if I’d met you under different circumstances I’d be asking you out, so I decided, why not? Maybe I shouldn’t let you being an empath get in the way.”
Aiden frowned slightly. “I appreciate that, but I am an empath and that makes everything different. I need you to accept what it entails.”
“That’s fair. I know you don’t have a lot of time, but can we spend a little while together and see if we click?”
“Yes,” said Aiden. “I’d like that. How would you feel about coming over the day after tomorrow and watching the game here?”
“I’ll bring snacks.”
“Get here an hour before game time?”
“Will do.”
“Great.” Aiden leaned back into the couch. “So, Cole, where do you see yourself in ten years?”
It sounded like a job interview, which in a way he supposed this was. “I’d like to be a family man, with a husband or a wife and a couple kids.”
“Monogamous or open marriage?”
“Monogamous. I’m too jealous for an open marriage.” His brother was happy in an open marriage, something Cole could never quite grasp. “I also envision career advancement, of course.”
“Here or elsewhere?”
“I’m partial to Tusnua.”
“Max said you’re an architect.”
“Yes.”
Aiden seemed satisfied with Cole’s answers. “That all sounds good to me: spouse, children, career, Tusnua. I do want to travel to other place in the Union, especially Earth. Tusnua is home, but Earth is where we came from. I’d like to see it at least once in my life.”
Interstellar travel was fine with Cole, even if Earth wasn’t at the top of his list. “I hear some of Earth’s rainforests are finally doing well after our ancestors almost destroyed them.”
“To be fair, they couldn’t just settle another planet when the population grew too large.”
Cole believed in acknowledging limitations in any given situation, so he wasn’t sure that was an excuse. Not inclined to argue over such a trivial point, he said, “I’ve heard the new colony on Armstrong V has the best diving known to man.” Armstrong V wasn’t part of the Human Union; rather, it was an experimental joint settlement of humans and Kx-Mareen, humanity’s nearest sapient neighbors. He wondered what Aiden thought of traveling beyond the borders of the Union.
“You like diving?”
“I love being in the water in general.” In Cole’s mind there was nothing more soothing.
“I’ve never been diving, but I’ve enjoyed snorkeling on the Silver Reef.”
The Silver Reef was the best place to dive in Aiden’s hemisphere, especially during the winter when the schools of tiny sea turtles were around. “It’s a beautiful place.”
“I prefer to be on top of the water,” said Aiden. “Where I don’t need to rely on artificial gear to breathe.”
Cole shrugged. They couldn’t expect to like all of the same activities. “That’s fun, too. You do realize traveling to other planets requires relying on artificial gear to breathe, though.”
“A reasonable point, and not my favorite part of interstellar travel. That kind of artificial gear doesn’t have to be lugged around with me, at least.”
It seemed like a minor difference. “Diving gear isn’t hard to lug around once you’re in the water.”
“Yes, but wouldn’t it slow you down if you met with a deep water shark?”
They’d come to the real issue, Cole suspected. Snorkelers, unlike divers, didn’t enter the domain of deep water sharks. The sharks weren’t dangerous unless you had an open wound or tried to separate a mother from her babies, but their large, double-rowed teeth made for a fearsome reputation.
“They’re actually magnificent creatures,” he said.
Aiden’s eyes widened. “Have you seen them while diving?”
“Twice. It’s a humbling experience to be reminded how small and fragile I am compared to them.”
“That’s an experience I can do without,” said Aiden, shuddering slightly. “I’m an empath. I’m reminded daily that I am just one person out of a planet full of people with their own emotions and lives, so I don’t need encounters with predators to have an appropriate sense of my place in the universe.”
Damn, he was cute when he was sassy. “If you say so. I still think everyone should have the experience at least once.”
“You’ve had it twice, so that’s once for both of us.”
“Shark encounters are transferrable?”
“I feel your wonder at the memory. That’s close enough for me.”
It was a bit disarming to be reminded that Aiden knew how he felt. Co
le had forgotten for a couple minutes.
“Does it bother you, me sensing your emotions? I can’t turn it off.”
“I’m not freaking out,” Cole said, which was mostly true. “It’s not like you’re reading my thoughts, which would freak me out for sure. I’ve just realized how much we non-empaths presume we can hide from people.”
“You do realize you walk past and interact with empaths every day, right?”
“Sure.” Empaths didn’t tend to go around declaring their ability to all and sundry, mostly because they still faced discrimination and fear. “I think we have this impression that since it’s usually bonded empaths who are out and about, we’re just emotional background noise.”
“From my understanding, that’s partly true if you’re passing on the street. However, any direct interaction will result in an empath knowing your emotions at the time to some extent or another.”
“Sounds exhausting,” Cole said before really thinking the comment through.
“You have no idea.”
The conversation reached an awkward lull. Cole was about to ask more questions about Aiden’s empathy before he thought better of it. Really, he ought to get to know the guy as a person if he was even considering this anchor business. When he thought about being an anchor it still seemed insane, so he made a deal with himself. He’d try to enjoy lunch and their hover soccer viewing date like any other dates, and then, if he was interested in Aiden, he’d tackle the anchor business.
“So, you’re studying rocks. Anything specific, in terms a layman can understand?”
“I’m almost done with the basic degree in geology, and in the fall, I’ll start my advanced work in interstellar geology.”
“Geology between solar systems? Isn’t that mostly dust?”
“Very interesting dust, along with some fascinating asteroids. Rogue planets get all the attention, so there’s a lot to explore.”
Cole couldn’t entirely wrap his head around the idea of interesting dust. Then again, plenty of people thought architectural schematics were boring and he saw beauty in those. “You’ve got research trips in your future, then.”
“If I’m lucky. A lot of the dust samples will be collected by probes, but I’d love to visit the asteroids. It’s all contingent on funding, of course. Probes are not quite as good as a human, the same way a drone isn’t, but for sample collecting they’re nearly as good and quite a bit cheaper.”
Like most of the Human Union, Tusnuans used drones for dangerous or menial tasks while preferring the human touch more often, in part because no amount of programming could recreate human ingenuity and in part because humanity had learned the hard way that if drones took all the jobs, riots ensued. Nevertheless, Cole understood the utility of using probes to collect scientific samples.
“At least if you’re planet-based you get better food,” he said.
“I’m willing to make that sacrifice periodically in the name of science.”
“That’s real dedication.”
“Speaking of food, lunch should be here soon, and if you’ll excuse me, I need to use the restroom first.” Aiden unfolded his legs and stood in a smooth, graceful motion. He carried himself with poise, which Cole noticed briefly before getting distracted by tight pants showing off a very nice, perky ass.
Not half a minute after he left his father entered the room, shocking Cole out of his physical appreciation. “Lunch is … where’s Aiden?”
“Restroom.”
This evidently suited Patrick, as it gave him an opportunity to speak to Cole alone. “I’m glad you’re still here. You can’t imagine the stress of having to find someone your child will rely on for the rest of their life. Aiden’s younger sister is thirteen light years away at the Universidad de Neuva Baja, and we still worry about her less.”
It made sense. The anchor bond was only broken by death, so Cole imagined as a parent you’d want to be damn sure your child’s anchor was a good one. “I’m sure I can’t imagine.”
“I know it’s a lot to ask of you, but Aiden has no choice.”
Cole was spared from replying when the empath returned. “Ready to eat?”
“Yes.”
He had no illusions that he could avoid a serious conversation with Patrick for very long.
****
“You’re kidding,” said Gabe, when Cole called the following day after his diving excursion.
Cole shook his head, though his friend couldn’t see over the computer since he hadn’t bothered with a visual connection. “Nope.”
“You’re actually considering being an anchor?”
“I thought about it on the boat out to the island this morning, and I keep coming back to the same thing. Max was right when he told me that empaths need good anchors who won’t take advantage of them.”
“True, but it’s a hell of a commitment.”
“I know. I wish I had more than a few months.”
“What’s going on there? Don’t empaths usually plan ahead longer?”
“Yes. Aiden’s empathy came on late and they thought he’d have more time to find an anchor, but then he started developing his skills faster than normal. Hence the shortened timeline, though they’ve been looking for a good six months already, Max said.”
“So much for only meeting him to humor Max.”
“If I’d met Aiden randomly, I’d have asked him out.” Cole tossed three balls in the air to juggle, one of his favorite stress relief activities. “Maybe I shouldn’t let him being an empath get in the way.”
“It’s not a small thing, man. I mean, you can’t change your mind once it’s done.”
“I know.” He fell into the comforting routine of juggling. “Believe me, that fact cost me a good hour of sleep last night.”
“Only one?”
“Very funny.”
“Seriously, Cole, I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Okay, empaths need good anchors or they’d all end up with people like my sister, God help them. I know that, but making such a promise to someone after a couple months seems insane.”
“I know. And yet I’m still looking forward to our date tomorrow.”
“You have a … of course you have a date tomorrow. It’s not as though you have the luxury of time.”
“We’re going to watch the game at his place. I wanted to take him to see it live, but the crowds would be too much for him.” If Cole ended up as Aiden’s anchor, he wondered if they’d be able to go to games later on, when Aiden had the bond to center him. There was another one for Cole’s list of questions.
“More comfortable seats, too,” said Gabe. “How is it that with all the advances in technology we have, humanity still can’t get our act together on comfortable stadium seating?”
“If we ever get to design a stadium we can work on that, provided the owner will pay more for better seats.”
“I suspect that’s the root of the problem anyway. As though we don’t pay enough to get seats that don’t make our asses numb. But I digress. If you’re serious about this guy—”
Cole felt the need to correct that assumption. “I’m not making up my mind about serious until after our date.”
“Fine. If you are, you need to make sure you know what you’re getting into.”
It was reasonable advice. “I’ve got questions I’ll need to ask him.”
“Sure. It wouldn’t hurt to get some information from the anchor’s perspective, too. Talk to other anchors about what it’s like.”
“You’re right.”
“I often am,” said Gabe. “I’m not trying to be a downer. I just think this isn’t a situation where you’ll be well served by boundless optimism.”
“I do need to make sure I can handle being an anchor. Damn, that sounds weird, doesn’t it?”
“Yes. Especially to a guy you just met yesterday.”
Cole added a fourth ball to his juggling. “So, there’s some craziness. All the same, I don’t want to lose out on a great guy because I’m afraid. Ai
den is fun to spend time with, he’s delightfully real and honest, and he’s cute.”
“At least you’re not thinking with only your dick.”
He snorted and almost lost his juggling. “No, my shock at abandoning plans to have a simple life with a regular spouse has seen to that.” Cole had never been picky about gender, but he’d always assumed his husband or wife would be a non-empath, like him. “Besides, sex isn’t on the table now.”
Gabe was aghast. “It isn’t?”
“Apparently, without an anchor it can seriously screw with an empath, because orgasms ruin their shields somehow. I didn’t ask for all the details.”
“I knew empaths had it rough, but that’s absolutely horrifying. How do they even survive being a teenager without jerking off?”
“I didn’t ask.”
“I feel like I ought to send a condolence card to every teenage empath on the planet.”
“Only if you want to come across as a first-class creep.”
“It’s warranted all the same,” Gabe said. “Damn. Well, I let me know how the date goes, okay? I want to know if this anchor thing could really happen.”
“You’re not the only one.” Cole still wondered if he was losing his mind. Not because he was considering being an anchor, necessarily, but because he was considering it on such a short timeframe.
“For what it’s worth, he could do a lot worse. You’re a good guy, not the kind to take advantage of him.”
“Thanks. I’ll talk to you later.”
After they disconnected, Cole spent a while juggling and running around in mental circles, wondering if he was doing the right thing.
Chapter Three
Maud seemed happy to see him when Cole showed up at her door the following afternoon. “Come in,” she said, “Patrick and I are just leaving.”
“Hi, Cole,” said Aiden, walking into the room. “See you later, Mum and Dad.”
Patrick didn’t look too thrilled to be leaving, but he allowed his wife to pull him out nevertheless.
“I didn’t know if you like sweet or savory snacks, so I brought a couple of each.” Cole reached into his shopping bag and handed over the first item, a bag of pretzels.
His to Hold Page 2
