Our Existence Is Scandal

✦11✦

Astra flinched hard as I rewrapped her arm with bandages I'd found in their first-aid kit beneath their sink. A frown darkened my face as I took in the swelling and discoloration around the wound. I didn't need to be a doctor to see that wasn't good. "We're going to need a professional to look at this soon," I told her softly, finishing off the knot.

"Thought I already had one dealing with it," She joked, but I could see the worry in her eyes. "We'll find another way," She promised me, squeezing my arm slightly.

I used the bloody tissues I used to clean the area away. Lucky for her it'd stopped bleeding, or maybe unlucky as the crust around the wound told me to expect infection soon, something we were nowhere near prepared for.

"There has to be a hospital here somewhere right," I nodded, trying to swallow away the ball that had formed in my throat and the doubt that had begun to bubble in my stomach. "Maybe we can steal some meds from there, at least for now?"

She changed the subject after a few seconds of silence "Do you remember where I put my glasses," She got off the bed and and followed her sighing.

"I think you left them on that um," I waved at the table by the front door "Beneath the mirror over there, somewhere close to those pictures." She found them and slipped them up her nose before glancing at herself in the mirror.

"They're kinda growing on me," She admitted, biting into her bottom lip as if to stop a grin from peaking through. The sight of her deep dimples that sat low on her face and the gap between her two front teeth had me smiling at her reflection too.

"You look different now," She told me, and it was then I noticed that her gaze had switched from herself to me beside her. And judging by the dark blush that had bloomed on her face it was either she didn't mean to say that or I wasn't supposed to hear it. We were both still towel-clad and hadn't even begun to search for clothes to wear. My slightly damp hair ran down my back with some parts sticking to my forehead and her hair was curled up on her head in the towel she'd asked me to wrap it in.

"That's a strange way to say you're finally realizing I'm incredibly sexy," I replied, wigging my eyebrows suggestively.

She rolled her eyes "Anyone would look different without dirt on their face."

"You surprised I look amazing both ways?"

"I'm not answering that," She hummed leaning down to look at the pictures on the stand. "They look happy."

I joined her, not as impressed "Anyone would be after successfully winning a war," I reminded her.

A woman with pale copper hair stood next to a much taller man, the same one I'd seen outside. There were many pictures of the both of them smiling in each other's arms, Astra adjusted her glasses to stare at a solo portrait of the woman, her eyes softening considerably.

"Teegan Callaway."

She then froze as if she weren't supposed to have said that and recoiled away from the picture. "Who?" I asked her. Her white lips parted as if searching for something to say.

"Um," She swallowed "You know, Sergeant Callaway, the one the man on the communicator was asking for."

I stood up straight and turned to face her, so we were now looking at each other eye to eye "You're a shit liar," I grabbed the picture she'd been looking at, my fingers rubbing the dark wood "Maybe a better one would've remembered he nor anyone else we've met have referred to her by first name," I told her.

I reached up to tap the glass, "Teegan Callaway huh?"

"I-

"It's really hard to want to keep you alive if all you're doing is keeping secrets, Astra," I dropped the picture on the ground, unflinching as the frame cracked. I bent over to rip the paper out of its glass "Why do you know who this is? Old friend?"

"No no," She immediately rejected, her curls shaking with her head "Nothing like that."

"You don't look human," I sized her up again, taking half a step back to take her in completely. "Or did you just fail to mention you are?"

She put a defensive hand up "You saw me bleed, you know that's not true."

"I know you know who this stranger is, I know that." I tilted my head "Or wait, don't tell me... You're just a great guesser?" I snorted, pushing the paper closer to her face "You called her by name as if you've known her forever, don't bullshit me, Astra, because we both know how good you are at that."

Her eyes darted to the picture and back to my face "I have," She grabbed it from my hands "I have known her, or I did. A long time ago, she did always want to join the army but I didn't think she'd go for it, I-

"You better start making some fucking sense fast."

"I know him too," She pointed at another portrait on the stand, I didn't bother turning to see which one "And them," She put the picture on the table and ran a finger gingerly on another framed one, this one was Callaway and Mhklali with a bunch of other humans smiling at the camera "Lionel, Constance, Jordan," She pointed at the Dr "And Kofi Mhklali."

"Are you a human?" I asked again, not even believing the accusation myself.

"Stars no," She kept her eyes on the portrait "But I know them, I know them all. It's my job."

"As what? The guardian of the universe?"

"No, as their moon."

There was a silence in the room until someone else spoke, except it wasn't either of us. "Sol, you guys okay? I'm going out hunting with Deimos in a bit, a much bigger group of humans were sent out today so I might be a while, don't get yourselves in trouble whilst I'm gone."

I ignored Astra's desperate gaze as I pressed the button to reply "Yeah we're fine, be safe."

"I always am."

We were back into silence now, with Astra who had now pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. Her blue eyes we shiny but had no trace of dishonesty as I looked into them. "And what else exactly fits the job description of being a rock in the sky."

"Well for one," Guilt darkened her cheeks "Staying there."

"Yet here you are, in front of me."

"And I will pay for it, in time," She muttered the last part, "I'm not supposed to be here."

I ran a hand through my head "Yeah no fucking shit."

She closed her eyes "I just wanted to be free," She admitted, "I think...even if it were just for a minute."

"And so what, you see them colonize another planet and thought it was the perfect time to leave?" I ask.

"No, I would never When I left all humans were on the planet, I didn't even know they had met Martians," She frowned, "This mess happened long after I had left."

I tilted my head, "It's your fault," She opened her mouth opened to interject but raised a hand to silence her "I don't know how it is, but it is. And you're going to fix it."

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