Pink hair flowed down his chest as Jrax lay, with Ama's head upon him, in the dimly lit room. The bed was soaked with her scent and, even now, it drove him crazy. Fixation still fell upon him as he stared at her ears. They were strangely elegant in an alien way that Jrax'eer couldn't quite describe. She breathed in softly, shifting her body ever-so slightly, as she continued sleeping contently. Jrax'eer gently brushed the hair out of her face in took in the features that only grew more and more beautiful.<br/><br/>**---**---**---**---**---**<br/><br/>It was the gentle brush of his roughened fingers pulling the hair back from her face that began her waking. She drew in air deeply through her nose, and her mouth drew up at the corners. She turned her hand into the caress and a soft noise emanated from her chest. She was warm, safe, happy in that moment. At the last second her mouth opened up to try and softly catch a fingertip between her white teeth. "Mmmm, yum." She commented still half-asleep, after her teeth released his fingertip.<br/><br/>***--***--***--***--***<br/><br/>A smile curved across his mouth as her teeth grazed his fingertip. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." His voice came out softly, barely penetrating the room.<br/><br/>**---**---**---**---**---**<br/><br/>She smiled still, and attempted to find a way to move up a bit closer, only to manage to kiss the underside of his jaw. "Hmmm, you are so huge... and I can't help it... I am a bit sensitive to everything you do at the moment. Ellorions are like that with their- "She paused a bit and then bit her lower lip, it still full from his kissing. In her world, her place, the sharing of self in such a manner was a commitment. At least most of the time. It wasn’t that she would be looked down upon for finding another lover, it just wasn’t the cultural norm, and it was something that most Ellorions simply chose to only share with one other being, their mate. She didn’t want him to have to live up to her culture’s expectations, so she didn’t mention it. Instead she shook her head slightly and smiled at him, while her eyes focused on his own. "Thank you Jrax." She said after a few moments of looking into his eyes.<br/><br/>***--***--***--***--***<br/><br/>The sheen of something devious flashed across his face as Ama told Jrax of his proportions. He did his best to hide it, but it lingered for a few more seconds. He relished in the kiss she planted on his chin and turned to face her at her words. "Thank me for what? I think I should thank you."<br/><br/>**---**---**---**---**---**<br/><br/>She blushed a bit and looked down at their lack of clothing and closeness and then back up to his eyes, arching a brow. "So I take it my medical journals were more than adequate to make up for my... innocence? "<br/><br/>***--***--***--***--***<br/><br/>Using one arm Jrax pulled Ama's form up to a face to face level. "Far more than adequate Ama."<br/><br/>**---**---**---**---**---**<br/><br/>Her face turned the color of her hair for a moment and then she bit her lower lip once more, feeling suddenly shy. In fact she squeaked a touch when he pulled her up and close. She looked into his eyes and groaned. Yeah, she had lost that round to him. It seemed it was going to be a common situation to be outwitted in such a fashion with the male. " I'm still no match for you, am I?" she asked him softly before leaning in for a feather light kiss. She wondered if it had been the right thing to do, but there had been no stopping it, nor any want to stop. She knew that she had pledged herself to him, though he did not. She couldn't put the burden of her cultural beliefs upon him. And she would take what she could have with him for now and be forever content with it after they eventually parted ways. A thought that sent a small shiver down her spine, and a chill within her heart. She would be lonely, but forever would hold the memory of their moments together like this within her heart.<br/><br/>***--***--***--***--***<br/><br/>Jrax rolled his eyes and laughed. "Well Drakolexis live for a long time so you might have the chance to beat me." He kissed her back with utter bliss and then his eyes shot open wide at what he had just insinuated.<br/><br/>**---**---**---**---**---**<br/><br/>Her eyes went wide at his words and her own were gathering to ask him what he meant, when his lips met hers and, as was typical, all other thoughts faded away. She eventually pulled softly away, a bit breathless and smiled. "So how long do Dracolexi live?" She asked him curiously, and moved to settle back into his embrace. It was about then, that the memory of the dream caused her eyes to open wide, and her to blush once more. "The dream!"<br/><br/>***--***--***--***--***<br/><br/>"450 years is around the life expectancy. Of course some might live longer depending on money and social status." There was a moments pause between his words and her's. "What happened?"<br/><br/>**---**---**---**---**---**<br/><br/>She groaned a bit and adjusted into his embrace, warming her body against his own. It was odd how comfortable, and right this felt to her already. "I saw both our worlds fall at the arrival of a dark worlds. At first I thought they would collide, and then... they didn't. The other world broke apart, and then there were people trying to keep you and I apart... but the first thing I saw.. " She paused and then shook her head some as if trying to think it was a silly notion. "It was probably a dream before the vision, or nightmare started up..."<br/><br/>***--***--***--***--***<br/><br/>"That sounds awful." He stroked her hair in an attempt to be comforting and then paused, becoming aware of something. "What was the first thing you saw?"<br/><br/>**---**---**---**---**---**<br/><br/>She sighed at him petting her hair, and then looked a bit away in sheepishness as he asked what the first part was about. She cleared her throat and tried to start a few times, only to close her mouth and clear her throat once more. Finally, she sighed softly and looked into his eyes, her own worried and hopeful at the same moment. "Well, just remember it was a silly dream... probably. And most likely because of the subject I have been studying lately in the lab..." she told him gently.<br/><br/>***--***--***--***--***<br/><br/>"Well I mean haven't you just been studying Drakolexian biology? I remember seeing you look into our reproduction..." The last words hung in the air as if gravity was gone once more.<br/><br/>**---**---**---**---**---**<br/><br/>She swallowed some and then breathed out slowly before blushing and finally coming out with it. " Correct... I was in a beautiful field on one of our worlds. I was laughing and happy. I saw you in the distance and called out to you on that summer day. You and... well I said "Bring her back here." And..." She paused for a moment and watched him closely. "You were carrying a small bundle in your arms. Then the world cracked, a baby cried for a moment and you both were gone."<br/><br/>***--***--***--***--***<br/><br/>"Hmmm. It's a good thing Trevi's muted right now. He would just tell me he was right."<br/><br/>**---**---**---**---**---**<br/><br/>Her face scrunched up into a kind of confusion, and looked at him for a long time. "About what?"<br/><br/>***--***--***--***--***<br/><br/>"Oh, you know." He smiled wryly. "Just looking at you like a prospective mate. Nothing major."<br/><br/>**---**---**---**---**---**<br/><br/>Her eyes went wide and she made that odd squeaky strangled sound she did when she had seen a giant species of cockroach back on the planet inside her treehouse. "Eeep? Puh... puh... ahem. Prospective... mate? Not... major?" She eeked out at him.<br/><br/>***--***--***--***--***<br/><br/>"What? Do the Elorions not flounce from partner to partner in order to reproduce and populate as fast as possible, in order to create a wide and diverse genetic pool?"<br/><br/>**---**---**---**---**---**<br/><br/>Her eyes went wider, and tears formed into the bottoms of them and she shook her head vigorously. She had been right, they were not monogamous with any one mate. Still, she could not regret her time with him, nor anymore she might yet spend with him. "No no... we... uh. No. Just one, usually, ever. I... sorry if I... oh goddess! I... um, I think it's time for a shower." She stated and tried to roll away and off the bed away from him before he looked at her even more oddly.<br/><br/>***--***--***--***--***<br/><br/>"Oh..." He stared at her a little disbelievingly. "You believed me..." Jrax burst out in laughter that would have been heard in the vacuum of space. "Oh, I'm soooo sorry.!" Again, he pulled her to him and kissed her.<br/><br/>**---**---**---**---**---**<br/><br/>She felt a teardrop slip down just as she reached the edge of the bed, and then him laughing loudly. His other words didn't even register, that was until he apologized, and pulled her back to him with a kiss. Her mind muddled through all of it, and then she pulled away sharply and looked at him, a spark of fury within her gaze. "Jrax'eer Nimolos! What do you mean by "you believed me..."?<br/><br/>***--***--***--***--***<br/><br/>The 6'5 male shrank down to the size of a child in her gaze. "Uhhhh...." His voice came out a little strained. "I was joking. I won't do it again?" He tried to smile in an attempt to quell the situation.<br/><br/>**---**---**---**---**---**<br/><br/>Her fury did not decrease with the shrinking of the huge male onto the bed. Oh no, the confession just made it gleam all the more. "I... You! You giant idiot lizard!" She yelled at him and whacked him on his shoulders, before turning around and again attempting to flee the bed. "I can't believe that you would do that to me! You made me confess... and I was going to let you go... and Goddess damnit, maybe I still should!"<br/><br/>***--***--***--***--***<br/><br/>While being struck, a chain of thoughts ran through his mind, most of which were indecipherable. He wondered exactly how he should react to this situation, and then he wondered what she confessed. It finally dawned on him. "Oh my... Your goddess... Did you just commit yourself to me?!?"<br/><br/>**---**---**---**---**---**<br/><br/>She turned back to him with wide eyes and whacked him with one of the pillows on the bed. "Not according to your big idiot lizard standards... I am just another in a long line! What do I make? Like 75th potential mate?!?" She rose with a huff and stomped off to the bathroom locking the door with a whoosh behind her, and turned on the shower where she climbed in and sat down to cry.<br/><br/>***--***--***--***--***<br/><br/>"Comms on." Jrax said in an unsure voice.<br/><br/>Trevi came on sounding rather bemused. "Wow... That was far more amusing than I could've possibly hoped for." A self-satisfied sigh came through. "And I'm 89% certain that my programming restricts me from feeling anything related to humor."<br/><br/>"I'm... I'm... I'm..." Jrax'eer swallowed. "What the fuck just happened?"<br/><br/>"Well captain, I believe you just insulted her intelligence, or she's suffering from the female fleshling syndrome where she bleeds incessantly and refuses to die. According to Drakolexian medical data, it can cause females to become quite... Savage."<br/><br/>"She called me a dumb lizard and hit me Trevi." He stood up and approached the bathroom. "And you've failed to be assistive. Comms off."<br/><br/>"No. This situation requires delicacy, therefore requiring me to walk you through it carefully." Trevi giggled over the intercom. "I may or may not have disabled the comms mute function."<br/><br/>"What?" Jrax asked flattly.<br/><br/>"Shush now captain, we have very little time to remedy your blunder. She said simply that she dreamed you two had a baby and that by..." Trevi paused, accessing his biological files and data. "Committing the rather disgusting fleshling act of intercourse she has mated herself to you, for the entirety of her lifetime. Why she would choose you in all of your mediocre glory, no one will ever know. My conclusion. You are an oblivious idiot lizard." The comm hummed another self-satisfies sigh. "There you go dear captain! I've given you all of the tools at my disposal to fix this."<br/><br/>***--***--***--***--***<br/><br/>Ama had stood up, unable to hear the comms outside, as Trevi probably didn't want her to do so, and reached up to at least wash up thoroughly. It didn't take her long. And she had worked herself up into another good mad by the time that had passed. Finished up, she wrapped a towel about herself tightly, hiding every bit of flesh she could and slid open the door to stare into the dumb lizard's face as he was staring at the door. She didn't even say a word to him, simply moved to slip past him and out the door. " I will take up the space that doesn't smell like lizard breath." She grumbled and wondered where the hell her ecosuit was. "I'll return the towel later."<br/><br/>***--***--***--***--***<br/><br/>"Ama... Stop." Jrax said, turning in a more serious manner. "We need to talk."<br/><br/>She paused to look over at him "Talk about what?" She saw that there was something more in his eyes and let out a sigh. “You aren’t obligated to anything Jrax. I would never…” She began, then pushed her fingers through her long hair. “It was wonderful, I am sorry I called you a lizard. I’m going to go back into the lab now.” She said softly and moved out the door.<br/><br/>***--***--***--***--***<br/><br/>He watched as she walked away. "But I want it." His voice was no longer in his control.<br/><br/>***--***--***--***--***<br/><br/>Ama paused mid-step to look over her shoulder at him, a softly puzzled look on her face. "You want... the lab?" She asked genuinely confused and then sighed. "I guess it's yours anyways, I will just find something else to do..." She stated and looked down at her towel-covered self and then back around the ship. There wasn't a lot of options.<br/><br/>***--***--***--***--***<br/><br/>"No." His face looked like a mixture of shock and confusion. "The obligation." For some reason he wasn't able to find her eyes. "I want the obligation to you."<br/><br/>**---**---**---**---**---**<br/><br/>The ship beneath her feet seemed to have lost their hold upon gravity, and her head swam with the sudden rush of blood from her furiously pumping heart. "What?" She asked again and stared at him, the male looking away as if he couldn't meet her eyes. She wondered if his sense of honor was pushing him to say this. It had to be that, it couldn't be that he truly wanted to be bound to her so easily. "Don't let your sense of duty push you into following through on a custom of my people you had no idea about. It was unreasonable for me to make such a scene. It's okay Jrax."<br/><br/>***--***--***--***--***<br/><br/>"Duty be damned Ama. I flew across the galaxy to find you." His feet carried him to her, stopping within arms reach. "I've wanted this for three years and I won't let it slip away."<br/><br/>**---**---**---**---**---**<br/><br/>She sucked in a breath as he spoke quietly, but a steel resolve that sent a chill of certainty shooting down her back. She trembled as he neared her, but not in fear of him. It was in shocked awe that he truly meant every word he just spoken. "I... I won't bind you to me if you don't want it... I can't. I lov-" She swallowed her reply and looked away, now guilty of being unable to look into his eyes.<br/><br/>***--***--***--***--***<br/><br/>"Customs have no place here Ama. They never did. There's no rule, no law, no custom, and no code of honor that has any place between us. Our cultures might be entirely different, but I think we've proven to each other that we can feel exactly the same despite this." His voice raised now, not with aggression, but an almost regal determination. "You know as well as I do. You know the implications of this, the magnitude. Not culturally, but as two beings who found each other because the very universe willed it. I know what it is that I want Ama." He paused, bringing her eyes up to meet his. "And that's you."<br/><br/>**---**---**---**---**---**<br/><br/>Her eyes studied the floor for a bit as he spoke, her cheeks growing a soft red. But she couldn't deny his words. She did know that his search, and finding of her on that lonely planet was impossible, if not for the will of something pulling them together like a string binding a seam. Her eyes rose to his, as he paused, leaving what he wanted hanging heavy in the air between them. She inhaled through her nose sharply, her eyes going wide when he said the words she had hoped to hear, but didn't dare believe he would. Declaring her as the one he wanted. " Me? I... Jrax... " She tried to speak, but failed, and instead reached out to touch one of his arms with her small hand to pull herself well within reach of his embrace. But she did not embrace him, only looked up at him with a soft question in her eyes... "Are you sure?" she spoke to him. "I want you too."<br/><br/>***--***--***--***--***<br/><br/>There lips connected in passionate embrace, her feet no longer on the ground as Ama was held firmly in his arms. Jrax'eer had never been a creature of words, and so he let actions say what needed to be said. He would die for her and, more importantly, he would live for her, and only her.