Ahdan

by Nikki Clarke

  My eyes rush to take in the sight of her. She is clearly dressed for sleep; however, the thin gown does little to cover her luminous brown skin. Over the gown, she wears a robe, which she hastens to close over her exposed flesh when her sight settles on us.

  “Tee?” Niya squints from the light above us and glances in confusion at our gathering. I, too, turn on Tiani in question. “What’s going on?”

  “Hey, girl!” Tee’s voice is overly cheerful. She has been behaving strangely since we left her home, and when I scent her, she smells of mischief.

  She leans in and wraps her stunned sister-in-law in a firm hug, swaying right to left. Though Niya seems genuinely pleased to see Tiani, her scent is colored with confusion. I look to my brother, but he stares ahead, his expression blank.

  Tiani steps back, keeping her hands at Niya's arms. “Can we come in?”

  Niya closes the robe more closely over her body before stepping to the side. “Yeah, sure. Is everything okay?”

  “Kind of.” Tiani walks past her into the dim confines of the apartment. The large open space is more expansive than it appears from the outside. As I pass, Niya takes in the large wrapped square beneath my arm and the bags slung over my shoulder. Qim follows behind me with his own packs. Once he has entered, she moves to close the door, but Bati steps into view, sliding in at the last moment.

  We stand awkwardly in the entrance as we wait for Tiani to make the necessary announcement. She has moved further into the living room and looks around appreciatively

  “Your place looks nice.” She turns back and there is no missing the pride in her voice. She has great affection for this woman, even as there is an underlying reserve. “Are you good?”

  Niya gives a short nod, but her eyes crease. “I’m okay.”

  “Yeah? And how’s your brother?” Tiani looks away as she asks this to fidget with the frilled edge of a pillow on the couch.

  “He’s still an idiot.” Her friend replies plainly.

  Tiani’s mouth turns up in reply, and she raises her gaze again. “I need a favor, but you’ve got to be cool about it because I’m gonna blow your fucking mind.”

  Niya frowns, looking to the side briefly. “Okay, what is it?”

  “You have to promise not to scream or call the police or your mother.” Tiani emphasizes the last part with a tilt of her head. Her friend answers by further narrowing her gaze.

  “Okay, what is it?”

  “Promise,” Tiani insists.

  “I promise, Tee, Jesus. You’ve known me my whole life. When have I ever ran and told anyone some shit you asked me not to?” There is real hurt in her reply, but Tiani merely gives her a look of disbelief.

  “You totally tricked to my mother when me and Shay drank that cognac.”

  Niya's affront shifts to amusement. “You were passed out on the floor. I thought you were dead!”

  “Mm hm.” Tiani murmurs, pressing her lips together. “Just don't freak out, okay. It’s not that big a deal. It’s different, but not dangerous.”

  Niya waits with her eyebrows raised high on her head. Tiani sighs.

  “They’re aliens.”

  “Lehti—” Bati cuts in with an exasperated sigh as my eyes widen. Qim chuckles behind me.

  “What?” Tiani shrugs and faces my brother. “I thought you and I agreed to tell her?”

  “Yes, but we spoke of easing into it.”

  She waves a hand. “We don’t have time to ease in. We gotta do this like a bandage, rip that shit off." She focuses back on Niya, who still hasn’t spoken. "They’re aliens, okay? But they aren't going to hurt you.”

  Niya blinks and blinks again, but her expression remains unreadable. “I’m sorry, what?”

  Tiani sighs and marches over to her, taking her shoulders once more. “About a year ago, Amina met this alien dude while he was on vacation here. They did it, and she got pregnant, so they got married. After, I met Bati. We got married—”

  “It was not nearly as simple as that,” my brother drawls, and Tiani gives him a look before continuing.

  “Fine, I was a bitch to him because I was an angry bitch, but he melted my cold, hard heart, and we got married and also had twins because Lyqa twins—as Bati and Kwarq are—will almost always produce twins. Now we are in love. We live on Lyqa. KJ wasn't lying. We really do live in space, but we’re happy. Now, Qim works with Kwarq, and he’s here with Ah’dan, my husband and Kwarq’s older brother, while Ah’dan wallows over not giving LaShay any play and driving her into the arms of this really sweet, hot telepath named Sol. They have a daughter named Tami, she’s a genius. But the point is, a pipe burst earlier in my house, and we need someone to come fix it, but, you know, aliens,” she gestures to us again. “So, yeah, they need to stay with you for a bit.”

  Tiani takes a deep breath when she has finished the summarization of her family’s connection to mine, and we all wait to see what her friend’s reply will be. After too much silence, Tee’s face tenses like she is unsure if being so upfront was the best course.

  “Are you in shock?” She gives her friend a little shake. The other woman starts and focuses back on Tiani.

  “I’m just trying to understand what you’re telling me.” She looks to me, Qim and Bati standing off to the side. “They're aliens?”

  Tiani nods slowly. “Yup.”

  “And you and Amina have babies with them?”

  Tiani nods again. “Yup.”

  “So, you had sex with an alien?”

  Tiani’s eyebrows raise.

  “I did, and don’t knock it till you try it.” Her gaze flicks briefly to me.

  “So, you’ve brought three aliens to my apartment to ask me if they can live with me until you fix a burst pipe in your house.”

  “I will actually be returning home with my wife,” Bati speaks up. He is clearly amused at her reaction. Her eyes linger on him for a moment before turning back on Tiani.

  “So, two aliens. Two alien dudes.”

  “Yes, two alien dudes, but only until the basement is fixed." When her friend still doesn't reply, Tiani shrugs a shoulder and squints. "Pleeease?”

  Niya looks at us. When she gets to my brother, he smiles, causing the tension in her face to lesson immediately. Bati has this effect on women. She turns back to Tiani, but remains quiet for a while longer before finally responding. “I only have one guest bedroom, so someone is going to have to sleep on the couch.”

  Tiani cackles, tossing her head back in delight before pulling the other woman into a hug. “Niya! This is why you’re my best friend.”

  Niya hugs her back, but her expression is uneasy. “Am I still your friend?”

  Tiani pulls away, glowering. “You were always my friend. I didn't want you to have to choose between being loyal to your brother and being around me, so I tried to stay away, but you’ve never stopped being my girl.” She sucks her teeth. “You know I love you.”

  Niya makes a face and rolls her eyes. "It's okay. I love you, too."

  ***

  “So, who wants the bedroom?”

  Qim and I exchange a look, and when he makes a face of pleading, I sigh.

  “I will make use of the couch.”

  “Yes!” Qim exclaims with a short pump of his fist before Bati helps him carry his bags in the direction of the room Niya indicates just off the hall to our right.

  “The couch pulls out, but you’ll probably still hang off the edge.” Niya's gaze travels the length of my body and stops at my face. Every place her eyes land warms. “You're really tall.”

  "You are very beautiful." It is out of my mouth before I can prevent it, and Tiani gives me a look, the dimple in her cheek presenting itself. Niya says nothing.

  “Don't worry that they’ll get found out. Aside from the height, they can blend pretty well with humans. People might stare and wonder where they’re from, but that’s about it,” Tiani inserts to cover the awkwardness of the moment.

  “They look mixed up,” Niya replies as she stud
ies my face. Tee chuckles.

  “Yeah, but in the best way, right? It’ll be fine. Kwarq was here for damn near a month trying to get up the courage to talk to Amina. They just have to be careful about their movement. That can be a little strange.”

  Niya's expression gets wary. “What do you mean?”

  “Show her. Get it out the way.” Tee nudges her head in my direction.

  I set my bag down and prop the wrapped canvas against the wall before walking to the living room; except, I allow myself to move at the quicker pace of Lyqa so that I reach the couch in a few steps. Niya squeaks, and when I stop, she is standing with her hands pressed to her mouth. Her eyes are wide.

  “You get used to it.” Tiana offers as she moves toward the door. “It’s kind of cool. Anyway, those are all the alien surprises waiting for you. Other than that, they're just like us, except nicer.”

  Bati has emerged from the guest bedroom. He makes his way to Niya and pulls her into an embrace, pressing a kiss to her head. “You have done us a great service. Thank you, my sa’aih. My kin will be on their best behavior.”

  She stands stiff as a Qitoni reed at low tide as he murmurs this before releasing her and following Tiani to the exit. When they are nearly there, Niya springs to life, rushing over before they can reach the door. She grabs Tiani’s arm and pulls her to the side.

  “Wait, you’re just going to leave them here? What if they try to leave?” Her voice is a harsh whisper that everyone present can still decipher.

  “Girl, they can leave if they want. They aren't on lock down, they just need a place to sleep. Their kind has been to Earth tons of times. They aren't going to do anything. Trust me, it’s fine.”

  “What do I feed them?” Niya asks urgently, and Tee laughs.

  “Actually, that’s the last thing you have to worry about. They’re vegetarians, too.”

  Niya's head pulls back. “Really?”

  “Yup. Vegan, actually, so you don’t have to worry about either of them trying to eat you in your sleep.” Again, Tiani’s gaze flicks to me. “Well, you know.”

  Niya's shoulders relax, and she releases Tee’s arm before stepping back. “Okay. Fine. I’ll do it, but can I call you if I need to?”

  “Oh, yeah, I almost forgot." Tiani roots into her bag, pulls a comm tab out, and passes it to her friend. “Here, this is Lyqa shit, so, you know, don't go leaving it on the Red Line, but you can call me anytime on that, and I’m never more than a half hour away. You're doing me a huge favor, you have no idea.” Tiani comes to me. Her mouth tilts into a smile as she approaches. “Be good to my friend, you hear?”

  I nod. “Of course, my sa’aih.”

  I accept her hug and kiss her forehead before she and Bati leave.

  The silence in the moment the door closes is intense as Niya and I stand across from one another. She smells nervous. Just beneath that, however, is the lingering arousal she experienced when my brother embraced her.

  I imagine this is an overwhelming moment for her. Amina suffered great distress when she first came to the realization that she was not alone in the Universe. And while Tiani and LaShay were less alarmed, even they required some adjustment. Niya, however, has had this thrust upon her, and in the middle of the night.

  She still stands to the side of her apartment entrance. I go to her, drawn both by the desire to take in her scent again and the need to right the wrong our presence has created. I slide my hand beneath her nape, disappointed only for a moment that her beautifully soft hair is concealed beneath a shiny cap of some kind, and pull her against me with an arm around her waist. She is small and comes off the floor with a sharp gasp. I lower my cheek to hers.

  “M'ah qitah,” I offer as I rub my cheek over her silken skin. She smells sweet. It is a scent I cannot identify, but it courses over me with searing warmth. I inhale deeply, pressing my face to her shoulder. “We appreciate you taking us in at this late hour and will strive to be as unobtrusive as possible.”

  A soft sigh reaches my ears as the arousal that lingered on her scent flares. A familiar sensation rushes over me, and I settle her back on her feet and step away.

  “You are tired. Please resume your sleep. I will set myself up out here.”

  She’s flustered. Her skin is a soft, sable brown, but beneath it, I can still see the mottled red of her agitation. Her deep brown eyes linger cautiously on my face as she folds her arms close around her middle.

  “I, okay. Um, there are blankets in the closet over there.” She skirts around me, and I turn, watching as she scurries to the door at the end of the hallway, which she slips inside and closes shut.

  “Oh my god.”

  Her exclamation reaches me from the other side, and I smile on the way to the closet she indicated to find a set of bedclothes. After a bit of confusion, I manage to maneuver the bed from the inside of the couch and dress it. As I strip off my clothes, I hear Niya moving about in her room. There is nervousness on the air, and I hope that she is able to settle in time to get enough rest. I am uneasy myself as I slide between the cool sheets. The thin material is just delicate enough for my fraught senses. Niya has been foremost on my mind for many days, and being this close to her triggers a keen awareness that sets me on edge. I try to relax, but every sigh, every shaky breath from her room draws my attention. I dim my senses, closing off the sounds that pull at every part of me, and fidget beneath the sheets, tossing them off and then back on, until finally I yield to sleep.

  CHAPTER 2

  NIYA

  It took me forever to get to bed. My brain wouldn't settle. I glance at the clock from where I stand at my bedroom door, frozen in angst with my hand on the knob. I can only stall for another five minutes before I miss my train, and I’m late to work.

  “Shit.”

  I don't know what I was thinking. I blame the sleeping pill I took, and the grogginess I felt when I was awakened from my deep sleep, for my agreeing to let Tiani’s friends stay here. I can't even think about the other thing she divulged. I tell myself that she had to have been joking, but I remember the way the red one moved. How he was almost a blur as he went from the foyer into the living room.

  A shiver skitters across my nape as I recall how it felt when he hugged me. His arms had been hard and strong but gentle as he lifted me up against his chest. I’d gotten wet, almost right away, and nearly died from embarrassment before running to my room where I paced, a flustered mess, until nearly two in the morning.

  The sounds of the clock’s arm moving is like a cannon blast behind me. I gotta go, but I don't know what I’m going to find when I open the door. I should have asked more questions, like how these things sleep. If I leave this room and find those dudes hanging from the ceiling like bats, I’m going to pass out.

  I have a minute to go. I won't have time for my usual breakfast, but I don't think I could eat anyway. I can't wait any longer. I take a deep breath and reassure myself that Tiani wouldn’t bring two, vicious, ceiling hanging aliens to my house before opening the door and stepping into the hall.

  It’s quiet. I pause with my ear trained on the hall and listen for any movement. Maybe it was all a dream, a side effect of the sleeping pill. I’ve just managed to convince myself that I’m right when a middle-pitched hum sounds out in the silence.

  I freeze with a foot in the air. The hum is coming from the guest bedroom. It sounds like someone testing a note, and I frown as I attempt to determine what the hell it is. Summoning all my courage, I creep forward, tip-toeing to the door before grasping the knob. I turn slowly, careful to be as quiet as possible as I ease the door open.

  A large lump rests beneath the fluffy down blanket. It rises and falls with the person’s breaths, and it becomes clear that the sound I was hearing is a snore, except it’s the most beautiful snore I’ve ever heard, even if it’s a little loud. Hanging off the side of the bed facing the door is a large, toffee-colored foot. The toes flex and the form shifts causing me to jump back and yank the door shut.

&nb
sp; "Oh, my god. Oh, my god."

  I back into the hall, sure now that it was not a dream. There is a hum-snoring alien in my spare bedroom, which means there’s also one on my couch. I edge along the wall getting closer and closer to the living room. My eyes fly to the clock just visible on the far wall between the living room and the kitchen. It’s too late for me to catch the train, but that is the least of my worries as the couch comes into view and I nearly choke on the breath that whirlwinds to the back of my throat.

  Long, muscled legs stick out beneath the sheet that's barely draped across the man’s pelvis. No, not man. They may have passed the first time I saw them, but Tee was right. They're big. The brownish-red torso visible above the corner of sheet—that only just manages to conceal the bulge beneath it—is firm and sculpted. Each ab is outlined below the rounded mountains of his pecs. I gulp; it seems to echo through the whole apartment, and the guy stirs.

  His face is obscured by dense, midnight black curls. They hang down his shoulders and the upper part of his chest, and my fingers twitch to sink into the shiny mass. He was warm when he hugged me last night, and he’d smelled like a forest after a summer rain.

  A car beeps outside, and I jump, aware once again that I'm late. I continue on my way to the foyer, moving in ninja silence. When I get to the door, I turn the lock with caution.

  “Do you not take a morning meal before going to your place of employment?”

  I scream, much louder than is necessary, and spin around, pressing my back to the door and a hand to my chest. Just a few feet away, Tee’s brother-in-law stands in all his naked glory. My eyes blink down on where he hangs, and I whimper—he has a morning semi.

  “I—I’m late,” I rush out as I fumble with the door behind me. I don't know why I don't just turn around. I mean, clearly, he doesn't have any shame about being naked, but I can't stop my eyes from straying to his pelvis. To save myself, I close them and blindly manage to locate the knob and turn it just as he speaks again.