by Gayle Keo
“On Earth we normally kiss on the second date,” she said.
“Date?” Cyrus inquired.
“Date, it is when two people go out together. To a movie or a restaurant. They talk and if they like each other by the end of the second one they kiss. Though I’m probably talking a bit old-fashioned as humans will kiss when they have had a lot of alcohol as well, and some men will force women to kiss when they don’t want to,” Julie stopped herself. Cyrus was staring at again, with his strange stillness as if he were drinking in her words.
“So a kiss, for Earth, is complicated,” he finally said.
Julie nodded her head.
“We do not have dates in Sion, but we do kiss freely. We fall in love with our mate at first sight,” he said frankly.
“We don’t believe in love at first sight here,” Julie said, fidgeting with the rug.
“A pity,” Cyrus said, keeping his gaze on her a moment longer before looking back to her cat. She let out a sigh of relief. It was pleasantly uncomfortable to be stared at by Cyrus.
“What can I do to thank you for your help?” He asked.
“Well, um, there was an earthquake where I worked. All the shelves fell over and all the books tumbled to the floor, you could help me put those away,” she said.
“Earthquake? No, that was me jumping through the portal. These books you say are important to you? I will help you clean up my mess.” He paused, took a sip of water and then caught her gaze again. “And Julie, I know you mentioned movies but I do not know what these things are, could we call this a date?”
*****
Julie’s mind went into a million directions at once. No one had asked her on a date in two years, and it would be an alien from another planet who wanted to go on one with her.
“Do all humans spend so much time in their heads?” Cyrus asked.
“Oh, no, maybe. I just haven’t been asked on a date in a long time,” Julie confessed.
“Then we shall go on one,” Cyrus decided standing up then falling back down onto the couch.
“After I heal,” he said. The towel was falling off again and as much as Julie wanted to see what was beneath, she adverted her gaze. He fixed himself and closed his eyes.
“Yes, rest would be good. And you need human clothes and maybe a pair of sunglasses. We need to do something to you so you look more human,” Julie said standing to her feet. It wasn’t that late, she could run to the store and find something that would fit him. Long sleeves, jeans, she would pick up a number of things for him to try on.
“Will the cat let me rest on her couch?” Cyrus asked.
“Why don’t you go rest on my bed,” Julie said. “She might curl up on you.”
Cyrus nodded, and holding tightly to his towel, he started towards her bedroom. It allowed her to admire his backside. He had to be at least six foot two inches she hoped she could find something to fit him. It wasn’t like she was hurting on money it was just her and Cleopatra. The library paid well for as little use it got.
“Thank you again, Julie,” he said, staring back at her from the doorway. “Not many would show this kindness to a stranger, especially one that is not from this planet.”
She shivered, she wished his voice didn’t do that to her. Julie nodded her head and grabbed her purse to head out the door. On the way to the store, she called Ethel and explained that the library was shut down because of a small Earthquake and not to worry about coming in the next day. Ethel thanked her. After all, she was an old woman with a bad back and all. That meant Julie would have the day alone, with Cyrus, organizing books. To her it felt like the perfect date and she couldn’t stop from smiling as she browsed through the local department store trying to find clothes that would fit Cyrus.
Julie decided on three pairs of jeans and three long-sleeved button up shirts—one a dark purple, one black, and a grey one, along with a package of boxers. He was going to have to go looking cyber-punk if he was to fit in. The cash register looked over the clothing and gave Julie a suspicious look.
“Got a new boyfriend Ms. Librarian?” the clerk asked.
“No,” Julie said quickly her cheeks flushing. “Just a friend in town, his um… his bags didn’t make it on the plane so I offered to get him some clothes.”
“Friend, huh?” the clerk rang up the clothes. No secrets in this town. Oh well, she would be the center of dinner conversations tonight. As long as her parents didn’t come knocking on her door, she was fine with that.
Once she had the clothes, she went back to her apartment. The kitchen light was still on, her bedroom door slightly open. Cyrus lay beneath the blankets curled on his side Cleopatra was comfortably curled in his long hair. The towel was folded at the end of the bed letting her know there was nothing but sheets covering his form. Julie left the clothes at the end of the bed, quietly grabbed her pillow and an extra blanket to sleep on the couch. He didn’t stir. It was like he was in a healing cocoon. There was a light purple glow around his form. She snuck back out into the living room, turned off all the lights, and it didn’t take her long to fall asleep herself.
*****
Julie awoke in her own bed startled. She sat straight up and smelled food being cooked in her kitchen. Her clock on the side said it was 7 a.m. so not too late in the day. Cyrus was nowhere to be seen but she could hear him talking in the kitchen.
“I don’t understand your language, though it seems quite complex,” he was talking to Cleopatra who was winding her legs around his as he cooked eggs. Cyrus wore only a pair of jeans that hugged his hips better than she imagined they would and had put the purple shirt on without buttoning it. His tattoos were swirling as he concentrated on an open cookbook in front of him.
“She’s asking for food,” Julie said, moving to get Cleopatra her breakfast.
“Ah, do all humans speak cat?” he inquired, going back to scrambling eggs. She smelled bacon he was cooking in the oven. There was buttered toast already.
“I don’t really speak cat, we just have a connection,” Julie said scratching the top of Cleopatra’s head.
“I think I would like a cat,” Cyrus said and he smiled at her. “You slept on the couch, it was not my intention to kick you from your bed. When I awoke, I moved you then cleaned up, and now I will make a human breakfast to share. Does that suit you?”
Julie looked around and her apartment was clean, not a spot of alien blood on the floor or dust. On the kitchen counter she could see he read through several cookbooks along with instruction manuals on how to use the equipment she had.
“It does, thank you,” she took a seat at the table. He laid a plate of food in front of her before making one for himself. His steps were far livelier than she expected a man—Alien—who had nearly bled out to bed.
“When did you wake up?”
“Your clock read 2 a.m. I had much time to myself but I must ask your help again on getting these stitches out,” he turned to his side and she could see the skin had healed over her messy needle work. It was going to take scissors then some tweezers for them to be pulled out.
“I’m so sorry, I didn’t know it would do that!”
“Do not fret, it was needed, you just do not have the proper thread from my world,” Cyrus said. He sat across from her and they ate their breakfast, Julie catching glimpses of his chest with each movement he made. She really needed to get her mind out of the gutter this was a prince across from her. Julie did not think herself anywhere worthy of a prince. He would come to his senses about this whole date thing once he realized how boring she was with her books.
When they finished, Cyrus removed the shirt, Julie knew she stared too long, and then went to fetch scissors and tweezers to pull the string out. Cyrus lay down on the couch and she got close again to that icy skin.
“I’m sorry if it hurts,” Julie said.
“Don’t be,” Cyrus replied and relaxed his body almost feline like—watching her. Julie put a hand to his stomach, it was hard, the skin was still cold b
ut there was a strange undertone of warmth to it. She cut at the first stitch and began to pull it through. There were little holes of silver left behind but he did not complain once. Against his tattoo was swirling and she could see a purple glow around the holes.
“Touch, Julie, you’re curious and I give you my permission to touch,” Cyrus said.
Julie placed her hand over the healing skin, and it felt like someone was gently kissing every paper cut she had ever gotten. Cleaning away any past pain she had from her books. It was warm, and his skin contrasted with coolness.
“May I touch your skin?” Cyrus inquired. Julie razed her gaze to him and nodded her head.
Cyrus slipped a hand over her cheek, brushing his knuckles across her chin and running a hand over her shoulder. Her shirt had fallen slightly to the side and he toyed at the bra strap but left it alone. His touch was like Jack Frost blowing a seductive kiss across her skin, it was unreal, so soft and gentle. Julie felt herself wanting more, wondering what his kiss must feel like.
“Your heart rate has increased,” Cyrus said sounding concerned.
“And now you’re blushing, am I doing something wrong?” he drew his hand back and sat up.
“Oh no, I just, I just liked it,” Julie said, her voice coming out a squeak.
“And that embarrasses you?”
Julie nodded her head.
“You are very intriguing Julie, but I believe that is one of the things I like about you. Shall we go to our date?”
He began to button up the shirt and Julie tried not to stare. He was not looking at her so it must be okay. Since Cyrus claimed it as a date, she decided to wear a wide skirt that came down just past her knees but was high wasted and had pockets. It was a dark green so she wore a low cut white shirt to compliment it. Her hair usually trapped in a bun she let fall down around her shoulders. Just a little bit of make-up was added and she stared at herself wondering if she could really be someone attractive enough for a Prince. Or maybe he was trying to figure out humanity and all it had to offer Julie was the guide. She steeled her heart towards the later, because there was no way things could go further than one date. He had a brother to kill.
Still, his eyes seemed to eat her alive when she walked out of her bedroom. There was something in them she wasn’t expecting, there was wanting in that gaze, but he suddenly busied himself with tying his long hair up into a bun on the top of his head. Maybe that look was just her imagination, but she felt a deep tug hoping it wasn’t.
The drive to the library was filled with his curious questions on how the car worked, where the music came from, and what he was seeing outside.
“Is your world completely different from this?” Julie asked.
“We have buildings but we shape them different, and what you call trees we have but they are different colors. The sky as well, it is not as blue, the sun is not as harsh. We have three moons, we mostly do things during the dark hours,” Cyrus said.
“Do you have books?” Julie asked.
“We do, but I do not believe any in human English,” Cyrus said.
“Does everyone on your planet know human English?” Julie inquired.
“No, only royals are required to learn languages of other dimensions because we can go between worlds. I am pleased to have landed here, I was not sure where I would go when I jumped.”
They pulled up to the parking lot of the library and got out of the car. Cyrus was wearing the sunglasses but he informed her he did not like them. They were a just in case. Julie didn’t believe contacts could hide the solar systems in his eyes nor fit.
“Are you staying long?” Julie asked.
Cyrus stilled at the question, he took Julie’s hand suddenly and kissed her knuckles. Shivers ran through her cells, all the way down. He wore the sunglasses so she couldn’t see his eyes though tried.
“I will stay until you need me no more, I do not wish to distress your life.”
Then he let go and there was an ache in her for him to still hold her hand. Instead she opened the library to see the mess. Her heart sank at all the fallen shelves but Cyrus walked towards two that had collided together and raising his hands to either side the two shelves stood straight. This was going to go much faster then she expected it to go. Cyrus moved to right every shelf that had toppled over but the books were still on the floor. Julie went to picking them up and organizing, starting with fiction. Cyrus was soon beside her. She told him the order they were to go in and he simply did as asked.
They worked closely together. Cyrus would occasionally brush his hand across her, at first he apologized, but after she said that it was okay he did it more frequently. He moved her hair behind her shoulder once, and found a reason to stretch over her to put a book in a high spot over her head, trapping her against the shelves. He pressed his body against hers and she could feel his need there. They were in the nonfiction section. He slowly brought his hand down to cradle the side of her cheek. Julie was trapped, but she knew at any time she could push him away and he would go.
“Can we call this second date if we count breakfast as one?” he whispered against her lips. “My control is losing, Julie, I’m not sure what you are doing to me, but just one kiss. If you don’t like it I will do no more.”
Julie gave the faintest of nods and his lips were on hers and he pressed her body tight against his. It almost hurt, but he poured his want down her throat. His lips were cold but his tongue was like fire and it danced around her mouth, exploring each crevice, igniting a passion inside her she didn’t know existed. Julie found herself kissing him back, battling his tongue. His hands were slipping through her hair, bunching it up as if he could draw her closer. All reason was slipping out of her mind for why they should not kiss, why she should not touch.
“Julie,” he pulled back from her and stared. They were both frozen, battling with their own passions. He slipped a hand across her bare shoulder and she shivered.
“Are you doing this out of curiosity?” Julie asked.
“Curiosity?”
“Am I… will I just be a human play thing?”
“You are afraid that if we do more than kiss I will harm you,” he said slowly.
“Yes.” It was best to be blunt. But she wanted him, all of him. She had never wanted someone so badly. Even if it was just one night, part of her brain said, but she knew she couldn’t do that.
“On my honor I will not harm you, make you a plaything, I am yours until you send me away,” he said. Then he kissed her again and reason went out of her mind.
Somehow they found themselves on the floor, still clothed, he was kissing her neck, down her shoulders. He was touching all the skin that was bare. It felt like snowflakes that melted when his tongue touched them, she let out a moan of pleasure and he went down her leg that was bare, then up her other, never further as if the clothing were a barrier for him.
“Julie, I want much more,” he said with strain to his voice. Julie sat up and in a movement that surprised her she ripped open his shirt. Buttons flew everywhere and it made him laugh. Julie was frozen for a moment but he was back to kissing her and removing her shirt with a lot more care then she had offered his. With new skin exposed he started to kiss along her breasts, still held in by the bra, teasing her nipples through the cloth with his warm tongue. She unsnapped the bra from the back and he delicately took it off then removed his shirt. He hugged her to his chest and she felt cocooned in safety, he kissed her neck, sucking lightly on it. Julie moaned as her arms wrapped around him, tugging him even closer to her. She could feel his need rising in his jeans, he had not bothered with boxers, and she couldn’t help but stare. She was actually going to have sex with an alien, it was like one of her storybook romances come to life.
“I want all of you, Julie, we, my kind, know another by touch. It has been draining me not to touch you, can I know all of you?”
“Yes,” Julie breathed out. He laid her back down on the floor and began to kiss her now bare breasts. Cyrus flick
ed a tongue over her nipple, bringing it to life as his other hand massaged her other breast. It was such an odd exhilarating feeling of hot and cold mixed together. He was gentle. When his tongue went to the other nipple he started to undo the zipper of her skirt, scooting it lower down her hips then off. His kisses followed, he ran his tongue around her bellybutton. Julie was trying to hold still but the blood was flowing lower. He kissed around her panties, then down her inner thighs. Fire and ice trailing up her legs, so close to her sex. His finger moved to tease the hem of her panties, slowly pulling them down. He slipped a finger between her lips and power seemed to surge into her clit. Cyrus moaned himself as he circled it with his finger before his mouth latched onto it and sucked.
Julie couldn’t help but cry out as ecstasy surged through her. Cyrus ripped the panties off and lay down so he could explore her lower lips further with his tongue. It was like what he did when he kissed her but more aggressive, he slipped his tongue inside her, finding her wet and began to lap up the wetness.
“You taste delicious, Julie,” he said. She blushed and he went back to his assault, inserting two fingers inside her until he found her G-spot which he took care to rub while his tongue did figure eights around her clit. She could feel the orgasm growing in her, her legs began to tremble and she found her hips moving to meet his face. The invitation made him go faster and Julie cried out his name when the orgasm hit her. He held her there, drinking her in, allowing his motions to slow before lifting his gaze to look at her. The look in his endless eyes was of pure affection. He leaned forward and kissed her again, she could taste herself on his tongue and feel his need pressing against her exposed sex trying to escape his jeans.
