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Penny and Reg headed for the hover-vators, ready to return to their apartments for the night. When they realized I wasn’t following, they stopped and turned around. Despite the late hour, there were still healthy crowds of shoppers winding around my sister and cousin as they stared at me, though the percentage of humans had lessened and more of the nocturnal alien species were out and about now.
“Go ahead,” I said, motioning them on with my hands. Penny gave me a suspicious but knowing look, and Reg gave me a jaunty wave. Then they both turned and continued on their way.
I’d be getting my own hover-vator and heading to my quarters soon, but not yet. I wasn’t quite ready. I had one thing left I wanted to do.
I wanted to check on Maggie’s space.
I knew why Penny had given me that look. If she’d stuck around, she’d probably be calling me one of the human terms she’d picked up and seemed to like so much now. I could practically hear the echo of her voice in my brain-bowl, calling me acreeperor something equally ridiculous.
I wasn’t acreeper.
I was just... Curious.
But when I saw the small, curled form in a dark corner of the unlit and empty space, I didn’t just feel curious. My mouth went dry and I swallowed hard, feeling as if my heart had climbed up into my throat as I entered the dark shop.
I did not feel merely curious, nor like a neighbour, nor like a professional at all as I crouched next to Maggie, my gaze trailing over her soft, sleeping face.
Maybe I am a creeper.
My heart twisted as I turned my head and realized that Maggie hadn’t enabled her security forcefield before apparently passing out in this dark corner. Crime was very low on this station, but it made a violently protective rage churn in my guts to think that anyone could wander in here while she slumbered.
Anyone could wander in here...
Anyone like you?
No... No, I don’t have any nefarious reasons for being here, I thought. My fingers twitched when I noticed a stray curl that practically begged to be tucked into its place, those treacherous fingers trying to defy the proclamation I’d just made to myself. I quickly rose and strode away from Maggie, but not before internally lamenting the lack of blankets in here, my instincts driving me to draw something warm and soft up over her still body.
Instead, I surveyed the interior of the space.
I could feel my brows drawing downward in slight concern.
The space needed a lot of work. I’d known who was leasing the place before I’d met Maggie. From what I’d heard, she was the only one on the lease. No business partner to help out.
She may have another sort of partner... A mate...
I grimaced, glancing back at her. I couldn’t see her hands properly – they were folded under her cheek as she lay on the floor. I wracked my brain – had there been a matrimonial band on her finger? Orcs didn’t wear jewellery on their hands to mark commitment to a mate, but I knew that some humans did.
Curses. My gaze had been so drawn to her face in the pub that I’d completely forgotten to check her fingers for such a sign.
A brief image flashed in my mind. The image of me crouching at Maggie’s side once more, trying to ease her slender fingers out from under her face to examine them for signs of another man’s love.
Very professional, Archie. Truly.
A sudden streak of something flying by my head, followed by a crash against the far inner wall of the space, made me whirl. Maggie stood, chest heaving, holding an ancient-style broom, the bristly end held towards me like it was some sort of sword.
I guffawed, enjoying the display of spirit. Even with my human blood, I was tall for an orc and stronger than many. There was not much that a bladeless broom could do to me.
But that didn’t deter the fire in Maggie’s eyes.
She scowled fiercely at me. Her defensive anger abated quickly, replaced by recognition, and then surprise.
“It’s you!” she said, lowering the broom slightly. I realized then that it was the broom’s dustpan she’d hurled at me, only narrowly missing. If it had been something easier to aim – a rock, perhaps – I had no doubt her missile would have found its target.
“Aye. Apologies. I did not mean to startle you,” I said, raising my hands and splaying my fingers in a gesture of goodwill.
She breathed out heavily, placing the broom against the nearby wall.
“I didn’t even know I’d fallen asleep. Then I wake up in a strange place and see some big hulking alien shuffling around in the darkness. Holy Terra, my heart’s still pounding.”
