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The landing pad was attached to the side of the tower. A set of stairs led them up to the top. Jace let out a breath as soon as they reached the top step and what he wanted Jace to see was spread out before him.

“It is what you would call a restaurant, but more intimate than that,” Khoth explained as he swept a hand over the large circular space before them.

It was fully open to the air. Low, rectangular tables with cushions on either side were placed at even intervals along nearly the entirety of the outside, except for the pie-shaped wedge of the stairs. Arlon grass, purple and fragrant, was planted everywhere except for a few white stone paths that allowed diners and servers to move to the tables. An invisible shield caused only gentle breezes to pass through rather than the roaring winds there would otherwise be at this height.

Jace slowly turned in a circle. His expression was full of wonder as he took in the entirety of Ylore. Every part of the city could be glimpsed from the tower and Jace’s eyes looked hungry to take it all in.

“It’s so beautiful,” Jace whispered.

Khoth linked their hands together. “I dreamed that I would bring my mate here to celebrate our joining. This is not quite how it should be, but–”

Jace turned and cupped his cheek. “Khoth, everything is perfect with you.”

They kissed. It was so gentle and deep. It was sweetness and light. Jace’s body melded against his own and Khoth felt stronger for holding his mate and hardly noticed the weight of him. He wrapped his arms around the slightly smaller form and held Jace close.

“We will come back when it is restored,” Khoth promised him.

“Hopefully, that will be tomorrow,” Jace teased.

But they both knew that it wouldn’t be. The people would still be afraid.

They broke apart and walked, hand in hand, over to a table. They sat down, side by side, instead of across from one another. Jace rested his back against Khoth’s front. Khoth opened the juices for them and they drank and watched the sun as it glided down towards the horizon.

“The Altaeth saw this same scene,” Jace said quietly.

“They did,” Khoth agreed. “And now, an Altaeth sees it again.”

Jace was quiet for a minute and then nodded. “Yeah, yeah, you’re right. An Altaeth is seeing it again with his mate no less.”

“What did you dream of doing with your mate?” Khoth asked after a companionable silence had fallen.

Jace sighed and snuggled back against him. “I wanted something just like what my parents had. They were able to go out and be full people on their own. But they always wanted to be with each other most of all. They seemingly understood one another without speaking. They were each other’s steadying anchor, but also breeze under one’s sails. But the truth is…”

“What? What is the truth, Izail?”

Khoth felt at that moment that Jace’s thoughts were a deep pit of despair, but then the sun hit the horizon and that darkness was burned away.

“I never thought I’d have this. What I have with you. Not in any dream. Not in a million years.” Jace let out a huff of laughter. “So I’m sort of figuring out how I got so lucky and how I really don’t want to mess it up.”

Khoth buried his face in Jace’s fragrant hair. “You could not. Never. I am with you always.”

The sun sank below Haseon’s horizon and night bloomed in wonder and glory before them.

Reasons Why

Jack stared at a very unhappy Dai Suzuki. The computer engineer had taken on the role of Scotty in Star Trek and was supervising the loading of fuel and other necessities onto the ship.

“It’s not that I can’t do it myself, Jack,” Dai said, slipping into first names. “But I’m concerned about you leaving. What if the Khul come back?”

They were standing in one of the Osiris’ large hangar bays. Jack was preparing to board a drop ship–that he would be flying to the planet’s surface himself, thank you very much–in order to see his son and wife. And it wasn’t just to see them but hear some “big news” which considering all they were dealing with could be absolutely anything. But any of it was critical.

Jack put a hand on Dai’s shoulder. “The Osiris is monitoring all the gates that lead into this system. The Khul won’t use one of the Master Gates again, because they’re likely too far away from their main fleet. So we’ll know in more than enough time for me to reboard the ship if the Khul intend to return.”

Dai shifted from foot to foot anxiously in his blue science uniform. Jack’s black one with the red slashes at collar and cuffs looked just as sleek. But it also reminded Jack that while Dai was a leader among Engineering folks, he had no experience with fighting. And they had just gone through a hell of a fight.

One we didn’t expect, which makes things worse.

Dai’s continued uneasy expression despite his comforting words told him that the engineer simply didn’t feel safe no matter what safeguards were in place. Jack grimaced. He would not have chosen to leave the ship himself, but Jace was so insistent. And it wasn’t just because Jace was his son that he was intent on honoring the young man’s request for his presence–or that his beloved Diane was there–but because Jace was his commanding officer.