The Day They Came (WATTY AWARDS 2016)

Chapter 18

Claire stood up, pulling away from Xyzle. The sleeping alien was drooling on the couch, and she could not help but laugh.

He was such a human sometimes.

She pulled the blanket up and tucked the alien in. The cool skin resisted heating up – a lot like gold – but did not do much more for him.

In the sunlight streaming through the window, he looked like a statue. It glittered and danced on his skin, flittering and flickering like flames. She smiled as she watched the light, feeling something akin to love growing in her heart.

Then the bronze eyes she began to love opened, and stared into hers.

"Good morning." His voice was deep with sleep, but he had a smile on his face. Then he sat up, letting the blanket fall to the couch.

That's when she realized that he had taken his shirt off at some point last night.

"I got hot. I cool off naturally if I take my shirt off." He sounded sheepish. She managed to nod, and turned away to hide her blushing cheeks.

Not long after, his hand found her shoulder. Then he gently took her hand in his.

"What?" She was still half asleep. Her free hand went up to rub her eyes, but he caught it in his other hand.

"I have a favor to ask of you." He brought her hands up to eye level, kissed them both, and then released them. "Will you join me?" The question arose again.

"Xyzle, I've already told you. No." She pulled away. "I can't go against my own people."

"You said you'd have to think about it, Claire." This time he began to argue with her. "I realize you feel you have to do everything you can to show your loyalty to your people. You have already survived an abduction by aliens. You are someone they will be looking to for what to do."

"Let's not forget that Peter was also abducted, and we had two very different reactions, Xyzle." She took a step back. He made her head spin, and her thoughts go out of control. Part of her honestly did want to join him, but the other part of her wanted nothing to do with him. He'd lied to her, and betrayed her.

"I'm still on thin ice, aren't I?" He too took a step back as he spoke. She only nodded, not trusting her voice at that moment.

"Breakfast is ready!" Anna's voice completely diffused the argument. Curiosity got the better of the alien, and he ducked through the doorway into the dining room.

Claire stayed put for a few moments as she looked for the willpower to sit nicely at the same table as him. She had to admit, he didn't want to hurt her.

He'd made that very clear when they kissed.

With a sigh, she made her way into the dining room. The scent of freshly cooked bacon, scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese, and fresh out of the oven biscuits was too great to ignore for long.

"Is this a traditional Earthly breakfast?" Though he had known her for two months, he had yet to figure out a lot about their cultures.

"In the United States of America, yes. Very traditional." She replied, leaving Anna no time to do so. "If you were to travel overseas to England, France, Spain, or the Middle East...you'd be in for a culture shock." For a single moment, she forgot all the lies he told her. She forgot all the ways he had hurt her.

In that moment, he was utterly and completely...human.

"I see." His voice broke her thoughts. "What is it?" The illusion of his humanity shattered.

"This particular meal is scrambled cheesy eggs, bacon, and biscuits." Her friend spoke up before she could this time. "I use cheddar cheese to make the cheesy eggs." She seemed to be bragging a little bit, but she let it slide. It wasn't often that Anna got to cook breakfast for someone else.