IncuBUST

I Thought So

Several minutes later, there was a knock on the door, and I rushed through the living room snatching up my wallet, phone and keys. I stuffed them in my pockets and peeked through the peep hole catching a glimpse of Barapha on the other side.

"I've got my keys, don't wait up," I shouted reaching for the doorknob.

"Wait!" Sissy exclaimed and I turned to look at her. She reached up and snatched my glasses off my face saying, "You won't need these tonight." I sighed and she giggled. I glanced over at Octavia who was sitting on the pull-out sofa flicking absentmindedly through Netflix and I said, "Bye, Octavia." She gave me a disappointed look and I frowned. Barapha knocked again and Sissy pushed me towards the door mumbling, "Go on. I'll take care of her." I nodded and opened the door.

"Hey, Babycakes, you ready?" Barapha asked smiling as he saw me.

"Yeah," I replied edging out the door. Sissy looked up at him and sniffed, "Barapha." He smirked and retorted, "Cecelia." His gaze then fell upon Octavia who was visible from the front door.

"Hey, you got your human back," he said, and Octavia raised her hand performing a gesture that required no knowledge of sign language to understand. My eyes widened and I placed my hands on Barapha's chest attempting to remove him from the doorway.

"Mind your attitude, young lady or I'll give you frost bite. Try signing with no fingers," he snapped, and I shoved him into the hallway. Sissy shut the door behind us and Barapha laughed saying, "Damn she's sassy for a human." He slung his arm around my shoulders and continued, "I'm starting to understand why you like her."

I looked up at him and he smiled, steering me down the hallway. We reached the elevator and Barapha hit the down button asking, "So, have you thought about where you want to go?" I suddenly blanked as the elevator dinged and the doors opened.

"Uh, I had a very hectic day. I just got home less than an hour ago. I barely had time to take a piss let alone think," I said, and he laughed. He pulled me into the elevator and the doors closed. I looked up at him and said, "I'm sorry." He shook his head and replied, "Don't be sorry, Chase. I'll figure something out." I nodded and mumbled, "Somewhere relaxing would be nice."

"Relaxing, got it," he said, and I curled my arm around his clarifying, "But not a bar or a club or anything. I drank way too much last night."

"With the Empath?" he asked, and I gave him a look. He chuckled and said, "He reeked of tequila this morning." I sighed and mumbled, "He got kicked out of his home last night because his mom found out he's not human. I didn't have hot chocolate, but I had almost a whole bottle of tequila." Barapha laughed and pulled me into a tight hug saying, "You're a good friend, Chase, and I know the perfect place to spend tonight."

An ice storm sprung up around us and we disappeared just as the elevator doors opened to the first floor.

We rematerialized on top of a mountain covered in snow. In front of me was an expanse of clouds so soft and solid looking it seemed as if I could walk across it. The tops of shorter mountains poked through the blanket of clouds like tiny islands in the sea.

"W-where are we?" I asked, my voice whipped away by the wind.

"The French Pyrenees," Barapha replied, and I gaped at him before stammering, "I don't have a passport." Barapha gave me a look and laughed saying, "We're in the middle of nowhere, Chase." He flopped down in the snow, and I tilted my head to the side asking, "What are you doing?"

He smiled up at me and replied, "Join me and see." I cautiously knelt in the snow feeling it dampen the knees of my jeans. I grimaced and said, "I'll get all wet." Barapha rolled his eyes and reached out grabbing a handful of my sweater and yanking me around so that I landed back first in the snow my head pillowed by his arm.

My eyes nearly bugged out of my head and my mouth dropped open in wordless awe. Barapha smiled and said, "We're on an anti-light pollution preserve. There's an observatory a few miles away, but it can get a little crowded. I figured this would be more relaxing."

I gazed up at the sky peppered with billions of shining stars the swirl of the milky way clearly visible and I whispered, "It's beautiful." He curled the arm under my head more securely around me and said, "I thought so."