Calming A Racing Heart

Chapter Six

          After his visit with Bundah, Larcin had dinner with Silka and Leavac at their apartment. They awkwardly avoided talking about the subject that was obviously on all of their minds. Larcin couldn't help thinking how lucky his brother was to have her as his other. Leavac was an excellent cook. Smart and levelheaded, she was just the kind of person his scatterbrained brother needed to keep him straight. She was a beautiful, gracious woman.

         "Not as beautiful as...." Larcin stopped that thought before it was fully formed. The thoughts were there, desire burning through his body like a plague, but by force of will he kept them to himself.

          Larcin excused himself early and went back to his apartment. He wanted to sleep but too many conflicting emotions kept sleep at bay.

          Could he take another man as his other?

          Did he really have any choice?

          What did that other man think? Was he as conflicted as Larcin was?

          The longing in his soul was like a physical torture. His body ached with a need he had never felt before. Larcin tried to fight against it, against the need to be near that man, the need to hold that hand that gave him so much warmth. In his mind he understood what it meant but he still fought against it.

          He had to find that man again. It was the only way that he could get any relief. Bundah was right. It was something they had to work out together.

         The next morning, Larcin woke early, still tired from his restless night. He showered and took some extra time fixing his hair. He dressed in his best uniform thinking this would give him a little extra leverage to get the information he needed. Heading to the cafeteria for breakfast, he was so focused on his decision he passed Silka in the hallway without speaking.

         "Hey, big brother, where are you headed?" Silka shouted at Larcin's back.

          "I'm going to find that man," Larcin called back without slowing his steps.

           "All right, man." Silka whooped in glee. "You go get him."

          After eating, Larcin headed for the front entrance of the enclave. He wasn't sure how to go about his search. It didn't help that he didn't even know the man's name. The spaceport here was a travel nexus and one of the largest in existence. Consequently, the enclave was equally huge to house all of the navigators and support personnel. To just walk up and down the streets here hoping to run into the one person he needed to see was useless. He figured he would start back at the hotel where they had met. That was a pretty fancy party he had crashed so someone there had to know who the guests had been. Larcin was perplex as to why that man had been at such a party but that was the least of his worries.

          Stopping at the security building near the enclave entrance, Larcin registered to go outside. Then he headed for the front gate. As he neared the gate, he could hear a loud commotion. Someone arguing with the guards.

         "I'm telling you I have to see someone in there. It's urgent. You have to let me in."

          "And I told you no one other than Joong personnel is allow past this gate. If you just give me the name of the person you need to see, I'll comm them and have them come here."

         "And I already told you I don't know his name. We only met briefly and well......I have to find him."

         Larcin was shocked when he realized the man arguing with the guards was the same man he was heading out to find. It was an exact reverse of the night Larcin had crashed that fancy party.  He didn't understand why the guard didn't just let him in. He lived here, didn't he? Where else would one of their people live?