Chapter 11: GatheringJohnBrian and Ryan linked hands as soon as they were clear of their vehicle; John followed their example to entwine his fingers with Tom's and instantly felt better about being so far from Guardian. "How many in your party?" Ryan indicated John and Tom were with them and responded, "Four. We're celebrating our wedding day! We're all newlyweds!" "Thank you for choosing us to celebrate this day with you! We are very happy to serve you here!" The woman was the smallest female John had ever seen among humans. She had features which he'd been told were Asian and she moved with the kind of grace he associated with his Tom. All the other customers seemed to look at them as they made their way through the main floor of the establishment to be seated before a cooking station. "Please be seated. Our chef will be with you soon."They sat two a side at the station

Chapter 13: The CouncilJohn"Which of you would like to answer to our council first?"John stepped in front of Tom as he realized the Council Guard had vocalized his request to be certain Tom understood the gravity of the situation.Zen rarely acknowledged the weaknesses of any bloodline; Records were revered enough for hints at their weak mind voices to be considered beyond crass. "I will speak to them. I made the choice during our registration."Neither of them needed to be able to read the Council Guard's mind voice to know he was bringing them before the council in regards to their 'marriage.' Tom nearly vibrated with anxiety beside him. John took his hand in the fashion the humans had displayed and felt his anxiety lessen almost immediately. Zen tradition to keep themselves physically separate meant they received a few stares, but John was willing to risk any disapproval to help Tom.Why hadn't he con

 Chapter 15: UnifiedJohnHuman bodies were too sensitive.John couldn't catch his breath as he kissed Tom in the lift. His emotions sizzled along his skin, shocking him as much as Tom with their intensity; John couldn't hold back his desperate need to get closer to Tom. 'I don't want to stop kissing you.'Tom groaned against his mouth as John captured Tom's posterior in his hand -grateful his human form had large, wide palms to cover as much area as possible- and he squeezed while they continued to move their lips together.Had he ever wanted to kiss someone so badly? Had any kiss ever felt so good? Was there any other species in the universe for whom kissing was such an amazing experience?Humans were the luckiest of species. "Don't stop," Tom begged against his lips, kissing him in short bursts, sucking at his lips and tongue, "I don't care if anyone sees." John didn't care if

 Chapter 17: BrothersJohnWaking felt similar to steering too close to a solar flare: an unbearable brightness coupled with too much for one's eyes and ears to take in. John wasted several minutes only breathing before he could orient himself enough to release the security lashes holding him in his berth. Only a little dexterity was needed to hold Tom in his space inside the berth before re-engaging the lashes to allow him to continue to rest. John wanted to kiss his lover, but the desire was outweighed with a need to let him rest while he could. Who knew if they were going to be able to get any decent sleep in coming days? Their council wanted them to speak for Zen regarding their 'unnatural union.' The human recordkeepers -reporters, John remembered their human friends calling them- showed no problems intruding on the personal space of others to get their questions answered. John would have taken Tom and run if th

Chapter 19: FamilyJohnSecurity was in chaos regarding the guard schedules for the council. None of the council members were particularly young -their sole female member was twice the age of a Zen who could cease their work days- yet all of them seemed fascinated with the human world. John listened to Clark tell him about the logistical nightmares of having four Councillors off-ship at the same time. All of them had gone to separate destinations at differing departure times with different return times; no one had been able to coordinate any parties to join together.He was beginning to get pain in his skull from hearing about it. Clark could keep the reins for the council. John would continue to handle Security details for the rest of their people. Zen were ordinarily much more courteous. Looking over the list of names Clark had given him, John realized how few members of Security had chosen to leave Zon.