by Li Hill
Tom wrapped his arms around Iilo's shoulders. When he breathed, his chest bumped into Iilo, sending pleasure straight to his dick. He pulled back, breathless and flushed. "You have any idea how beautiful you are?"
Iilo was a living, breathing galaxy in the night. His skin shimmered brighter than the stars above. Tom watched the light in Iilo flutter, embarrassed to be known but happy it was ever acknowledged. He glowed brighter when Tom touched his skin, the speckles on his face piercing through the darkness casting reflections off Tom.
"I feel like"—Iilo scrunched up his face—"I owe you an explataion. About me and Caleb."
Tom found a red rock and sat atop its hard surface. He didn't need to hear it, but after what happened at BrightStart, what Caleb had said, Tom wouldn't deny that he'd felt curious. Tom wanted to know everything about Iilo, and that included everything: the good, the bad, and the mistakes.
"I was with him, but it was never like it is with you. I think Caleb liked the idea of me more than he actually liked me. Whether he knew it or not. It wasn't a long time, and I did break up with him. I'm sorry."
Tom leaned forward, frowning. Iilo didn't owe him an apology for bing his own person. His life before Tom was his own, and not once had Tom ever expected him to rationalize it or excuse it. It was kind that Iilo cared enough to say something instead of leaving it to linger for Tom to wonder on, but he'd never owed it to Tom.
"I love you," Tom said, standing from the rock and scooping Iilo into his arms.
Iilo kissed back, a happy sigh on his lips.
Together they lay on the blanket they'd nabbed. Iilo's legs straddled Tom, rutting against him. Their fingers flirted with each other's shirt hems, eyes locked and smiles sinister.
"It's cold out here," Tom said.
"I can deal. For now."
"We don't have to get naked." Tom waggled his brows. "Though I do wanna see you naked out under the stars one day." Tom ran his fingers down Iilo's body, heat flourishing in his chest at the way Iilo's muscles leaned into him.
Iilo's fingers walked down to Tom's pants, undoing them. He slipped his fingers in, holding Tom. Another kiss and then another. He started pumping his hand back and forth.
Tom sucked in a breath, his eyes fluttering closed. Making love under the stars in an Arizona desert. Jesus.
Tom slunk his hand into Iilo's pants, wasting no time in playing. He slipped his fingers beneath Iilo's cock, finding what made the I'na so damn unique. Warmth enveloped his fingers as he pushed them in and out.
Iilo gasped, rocking back and forth into Tom.
"We gotta hurry," Tom said. "Dunno if Yzee will tell Parker to come looking."
"You kidding? Parker would tell Yzee to come looking." Iilo slipped his pants off, shooing Tom's hand. He straddled Tom again, dropping his body over Tom, enveloping him with ease.
Tom saw a flash of white, his mind going silent. He let his eyes close, body sprawled beneath the stars. He dug his fingers into Iilo's hips, savoring the warmth he provided. His wound burned, the stitches angry for being disturbed. He made love to Iilo slow and easy, careful to avoid pain and gave only pleasure.
When Tom came, he came gently, showered with kisses and soft giggles. Iilo's body writhed around Tom's, his breath shaky when he wasn't peppering kisses over Tom's face.
"You don't think I, um, that I did all this for myself, do you?" Tom understood why Iilo had said it before. He'd been angry and frantic, but the words had still stung. Tom couldn't get them out from under his skin.
Iilo tugged his pants on, looking over at Tom's wound. He touched it gingerly. "I was angry at the situation. Not you. I know why you've been here. Because of me."
Tom nodded.
Iilo stood up, brushing dirt from his clothes. "I was scared, Tom. I didn't know if my family was alive and I can't go through losing any more of them. It was cruel of me, to use your guilt like that. I know you did this because you care about me. Please, I'm sorry."
Tom kissed Iilo's head. "I forgive you. Things got, yeah, a little heated. But as long as you know that I'm here for you. This has nothing to do with me anymore. I wanted to help you because it was you I was helping."
"I know. I'm so sorry."
Tom took Iilo's hands in his. He kissed each knuckle, slow and reverent. Iilo had all the reason in the world to be afraid of humans, but he still accepted them. It had been a terrible situation and Tom couldn't fault him for having been vulnerable. That vulnerability had frightened him, and he'd done the only thing he could: lashed out and tried to protect himself. Tom had done it countless times in his life. He pressed the final kiss to Iilo's lips.
"Let's go back," he said softly.
They walked back to BrightStart, hand in hand.
Parker leaned on the SUV, lips pursed and head tilted. Yzee was by his side.
"We just went for a walk," Tom said, unashamed of what he'd just done with Iilo.
"Sure, and I just flew off into the sky." Parker pointed at the SUV that'd take them all back over to the jet. "Chop-chop, kiddos."
Tom had a serene sense of comfort when he shuffled into the jet. Iilo was pressed beneath his chin, already closing his eyes the moment he sat down. No more Caleb. No more kidnapped I'na.
Parker sat across from them, typing fast on a little laptop. The blue hue of the screen lit up his eyes, black pupils transcended into white. Yzee close by, his red eyes warm. He'd hooked his ankle around Parker's. There was no way they weren't together. Or maybe Tom just wanted to believe there were other couples like him and Iilo.
"What're you two gonna do now?" Parker asked.
"Try to make sure the world doesn't start attacking I'na for their blood," Tom said.
"People don't really respond well to genocide. At least, not most of them. You're gonna get a lot of hate too, but I really don't think BrightStart's gonna get any sympathy. The I'na were the victims here. Since the FBI's already fired my boss, I gotta go up the ladder and give this case up. Full-blown government investigation. Shame, right? Would've liked to see that."
"Yeah. Sounds exciting." Tom would pass on more conspiracies. He was glad to just have Iilo now.
Iilo adjusted to nestle his head in Tom's lap. He reached his hand out, cupping Tom's face. The gesture sent tingles all over Tom's body. Such a small gesture, yet so much exploded inside Tom.
"You should be sleeping," Tom said.
"Gary, Indiana is a good place."
Tom cocked a brow.
"'Cause it made you." Iilo closed his eyes, curling up into a blanketed ball.
Tom looked out the window, smiling. Steel mills and train tracks. A whole city of fighters.
Chapter Twenty-Six
When Tom arrived home, Sam and Carlos were already there. Carlos's head was in Sam's lap, his mouth open as he snored. Sam's head was tilted forward, her arms crossed over her chest. She opened her eyes first, sharp as a tack.
"Morning," Tom said, voice rusty and exhausted. The sun had crept up into the horizon, just barely peering at the world below.
"It's fucking very early in the morning." She scooted Carlos off, letting him sleep easier on the suede couch. He sank down, claimed by the pillows. "I heard you got shot! Let me see right now." She moved close to Tom and lifted his bloodied shirt. "A fuckin' graze."
"It's fine. As I keep telling everyone."
Sam frowned, her brown eyes black in the early morning. "How'd the rest go?"
"Good. Caleb's in custody, and Iilo and Inaraa are helping get everyone settled back at the I'na settlement. Though they won't be staying there. BrightStart owns the property, so they're probably all heading to the Center until they can get into other settlements."
"Wait, what about some temporary housing?" Carlos asked from the couch. His curly black hair was the only thing visible amidst a pile of blankets.
"What do you mean, blanket monster?" Tom asked.
"Well, if people want, we could all take in a family. I mean, I dunno. Just until they find new places to live? No
one's said anything about them staying with humans." It was true. There was always the wayward traveler, but most of the I'na stayed together for fear of sickness or their blood. If the secret would be out soon enough, what did it matter? Better them safe in loving homes than displaced.
"That's not a bad idea," Sam said. She leaned over, ruffling Carlos's hair. "Sometimes you say such smart things."
"Oh, how kind of you to acknowledge it." Carlos swatted her hand away when he freed himself from his blanket burrito. He tumbled off the couch. "I'll take in a family or two."
"Same," Sam said.
Tom wanted to show more excitement, but he wavered on his feet. Anxious to get into a bed with his dog. But the idea was good. One he wanted to ask Iilo about.
"But we can talk about this later. Go to sleep, Tom." Sam flicked Tom's shoulder. "Me and Carlos got the couch."
"Or we could all sleep together on the big comfy bed!" Tom took the stairs two at a time. He regretted it at the top, dizzy.
Eventually, Carlos and Sam came in.
They climbed in on either side of Tom. Peach snorted at the foot of the bed. She walked between Tom and Carlos's bodies before plopping down atop Carlos's pillow.
"Hey!" Carlos scrubbed his hand over her head. "Spoiled."
"Go to sleep, you two." Sam took her pillow and slammed it over her head.
Giggling, Carlos and Tom put their heads closer together. They used to whisper to each other all night during basic. A fact that drove their corporal mad.
"You and Iilo good still, Amigocho?"
"Yeah. We're great."
Carlos's smiled wide, his teeth reflecting the moonlight. He looked almost like a child, big eyes and a bright smile.
"I'm gonna have him and his family move in with me. If they want."
Carlos still smiled. "Gonna be a loud house. Think you'll stand Letic?"
Tom snorted. "Lord only knows. But I'm excited." The thought of a full house exhilarated Tom. After years of law school and being on his own, it was about time he heard familiar footsteps in his home again. The nights he'd slept with Iilo were the nights he slept the soundest. He'd enjoy them all in the house, even Letic.
Carlos snuggled into his spot on the bed, a sigh of content passing his lips. "You really should get some sleep, Amigocho."
So Tom did.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
"You holding up well?" Tom asked Letic. It was moving day from the Settlement. BrightStart's lands were under investigation, and none of the I'na felt safe to stay. Fostering families had been a success, the people of Seward coming together to take in I'na while Nebraska's Congress worked to be the first state to allow I'na to own land.
Letic looked at Tom with a heavy stare. His lips didn't even flinch before he said, "Your friend wanted bleed me like a pig. You need pick better friend."
Tom snorted. "All I got is Carlos and Sam now."
"And me." Letic swiped a hand in the air. "If want."
"But I'm human?"
"Good human. Iilo like you."
Tom laughed, his chest bubbling up with air. He'd never felt so delighted to hear someone call him a friend. Hearing Letic accepted Tom was a private victory.
The wind hit Tom before he realized the door was open. Inaraa, Iilo, and Carlos scurried in. Carlos shoved the door closed, pressed against it. Iilo came over to Tom to give him a chilly kiss.
"Hi!" Inaraa said before breezing by Tom up to the bedroom. She came back, dropping a few bags by the door. "Still not entirely finished packing. We can't take down our power sources until everyone's out. It's all connected."
Tom cupped Iilo's cheeks, rubbing his thumb back and forth. "You're ice." He wanted to reach out and pull Iilo's cold body to his own. He knew how much Iilo liked being warm. It was silly, objectively. Tom was stupid in love and he didn't even realize when it happened. He just woke up one day and never noticed how devoted he'd become.
"You're staring," Iilo said.
"Oh. Sorry." Tom cleared his throat, looking away. Standing up, he helped Inaraa with her bags, taking them from her arms. "I'll start loading up the car. Wanna help, Carlos?"
"Sure."
They were almost finished packing, the car stuffed nearly to the brim.
In Iilo's hands, he held his little box of missing persons. He walked slow to Tom, reverent. Everything he'd known since the kidnappings started was in that box. His relationship with Tom. His friends. His guilt. So much inside such a tiny box.
"You wanna bring that?" Tom asked. He'd respect it if Iilo did. Getting rid of something like that wasn't easy. There were memories in that box, and not just of the I'na who'd died. It's how their relationship had begun.
"No. But I don't know really what to do with it. I can't stop thinking I failed them. Like if I let them go, they'll be lost again."
Tom cupped Iilo's chilly cheeks. He'd come to adore touching Iilo's face. "They're not lost. You put them to rest."
"All for a fucking bomb." Iilo sneered, pulling back. "Nothing is worth a person's life."
Tom shoved his hands into his jacket. He leaned against his car, feeling the curve of the window. "Things aren't so black and white. Sometimes a person thinks they're doing good, but to get there they've gotta do something bad."
"If you have to compromise the very people you're protecting, you've already failed them." Iilo's ears twitched. He sighed, stroking a hand over the box. "My mom said that. We faced so many issues out in space. Food shortages. Life support breaking. War. Those were black spots."
"Black spots?"
"Bad times. Whatever." Iilo held the box to his chest. "People died."
Tom could only imagine the horror Iilo saw floating in space. He'd been desperate to survive all his life because that's all he ever knew. Now he'd had a chance to be something different. Something greater. But he had to lose so many to get here.
Tom didn't think an apology would be enough. He pulled Iilo to him, a one-handed hug that seemed so inadequate for the hurt that Iilo would forever carry. But then Iilo dropped the box. Its contents spilled out into the frozen grass. Photos twirled in the wind, scurrying away to new adventures.
Iilo clutched onto Tom, pushing his face into his chest. Tiny sniffles met Tom's ears. His blue fingers shook, digging into muscle. A lump formed in Tom's throat. He held onto Iilo tighter, kissing the crown of his head.
"Oh, Iilo," Tom said.
Iilo pulled back, wiping tears from his eyes. His nose was purple, his eyes puffy. He scrubbed his hands over his face and forced on a smile.
Tom smiled back, if only to humor him.
"We saved everyone else. But I'm not sure what to do with the rest of the pictures. I think I littered." Iilo laughed, his eyes watery. He'd been so attached to those pictures, each one a piece of Iilo's own heart. Now they'd been set free.
Tom chuckled. He pulled Iilo in by the lapels of his jacket and kissed him hard on the mouth. Their bodies slotted together, close and intimate. "It's okay. It's symbolic."
"What's symbolic?"
"The word or the act?"
"Yes?"
"Ha. Okay. Symbolism is like when something means something else. A cross in Christianity is symbolic for Jesus. Or the sun rising is symbolism for a new beginning. The act of letting the photos fly into the wind is symbolic of you letting go. Moving on."
"I should let them all go?" Iilo's eyes were round.
"If you want. We could do it together."
Iilo picked up the box and shuffled the remaining pictures. He handed some to Tom and kept a few for himself.
"I'm sorry I couldn't save you. But I saved our people, so I hope you're not too angry."
Tom thought that was a good compromise. Though he wished no one had died, they'd managed to save some. Caleb's biggest mistake had been underestimating Iilo's strength. Underestimating how far Tom and Iilo would go because they cared for each other.
"Ready?" Iilo asked.
Tom nodded. They tossed the pictures up into the air, hol
ding hands while the wind carried the faces of the I'na to every corner of the world.
Tom watched Iilo's gaze try to hold onto the pictures.
Tonight would be the first night Iilo called Tom's home his own. They would sit by the TV, watch the news with a homecooked meal. Tom would kiss Iilo. Again.
And again.
And again.
FIN
About the Author
Li Hill is a Midwesterner and attorney living in Colorado. He enjoys writing urban fantasy, science fiction and paranormal works. When not working, he can be found crying about superheroes, yelling about politics, or fawning over Jeff Goldblum. When he was a child he wanted to grow up to be a dinosaur. Since that didn’t work, he writes instead. Hill can be contacted on his Twitter, @liavhill.
