Roco stroked Myeong's bare back as she sat in his lap, curled up against him, her thighs wrapped around his hips. The bed was a mess, the blankets strewn on the floor.
They hadn't yet done it like this—and Roco was a fast fan. As much as it was a struggle controlling himself, he could handle the deep, burning pain in his balls. It was what Myeong wanted—what she needed—and he would give her anything.
Her grief was still there but the worst of it had drained away not long after he'd joined her in the shower. He remembered that horrible wrenching feeling in his chest and gut. A deep feeling of loss he hadn't understood at the time but could understand fully now.
He'd jogged down the corridors, hardly knowing his surroundings, feeling only Myeong and her agony. He couldn't get there fast enough. Then he stepped into the bathroom. That look on her face ... It felt like Paul had smacked him in the side of the head with a bat.
Roco never wanted to see her like that again ... or to feel that way again.
Myeong shifted in his lap. Roco bit back a groan. His balls gave a hard throb as her vagina moved around his shaft. They'd been this way for the last five minutes, hardly moving, united. Myeong wanted to be close and Roco was only too happy to oblige her. Her fingers were digging into his hips. The feel of her warm breath against his nipple was driving him wild. Every time her hair brushed against his shoulder it sent a shiver down his spine.
She shifted again and Roco groaned.
'Am I torturing you?' she said.
'I don't mind.'
Roco lightly dragged his fingers down along her spine to her backside. She shivered as he brushed them down her crack. She moved again, this time deliberately. Roco grabbed onto her arse as he felt his shaft shudder.
Myeong's cheeks were pink. Her eyes were bright. Panting, Roco brushed her long dark hair from her shoulder, then leaned in to kiss her. Roco felt his shaft shudder again. He groaned against her lips.
Then she was hugging him, her head pressed into his shoulder as she rocked slowly, agonisingly slowly against him. He felt her channel tighten around him as he swelled and hardened.
She pulled back her hips, his erection sliding out of her before sliding into her again as she pushed forward. She gasped as he moved his shaft. It was just a twitch but it was enough to make her shudder in his arms.
He twitched it again and again. Then they were kissing. She rocked her hips. Roco grabbed onto her backside, pulling her higher into his lap. He grunted as he slid into her even deeper still. She kissed him hard as he thrust into her. Then he was bucking his hips.
He pulled his mouth away, arching his throat as he ejaculated. His heart skipped a beat as Myeong kissed the notch at his throat with her soft lips. Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her against him.
As the last of his orgasm petered away, he realised she hadn't come yet. Reaching down, he gave a slow stroke of her clitoris. It was all it took—with a gasp, she clenched hard around him.
She gently gnawed at his lip, then curled up against him, her head braced beneath his chin. After a few minutes, she tried to look up.
'Don't,' he said. 'You'll drive yourself crazy. It's too early anyway.'
'Not that early.'
Roco could feel the need brewing deep down in her gut. 'Myeong ...'
'I can't help it!' She tried to pull out of his arms but Roco tightened his hold. 'Let go! I need to see!'
'But why? If you can't have any like you say, then you'll only torture yourself.'
She clawed her fingers into his sides. 'There's always a chance. No matter how small. It happens all the time!'
She started to thrash in his grip. Roco pushed her face into his chest. 'Roco!'
'Why can't we be enough? Why must there be more?'
'Because it's not enough for you! It's not enough for you.'
Roco felt sick.
'I can see it too. In your mind,' she whispered. 'So much. I want to give that to you.'
'They are only fantasies. They mean nothing.'
'It's your heart's greatest desire. It means everything.'
'You're my greatest desire. Only days ago that was enough.'
'Things change.'
'You're enough, Myeong.'
'I could be more.'
He was starting to get angry now. He released her and she looked into his face, searching his eyes. She found nothing. No surprise. No delight. Only frustration and sadness. She touched her eye to check herself.
'Happy now?' he said. 'Feel better?'
He winced at the rush of disappointment. Taking her trembling hand, he folded it into his.
'Are we going to do this every time?' he said. 'Will you be disappointed and terrorised every time we make love?'
Myeong lowered her eyes. Roco almost wished that Drake's female had never fallen pregnant. Myeong could be Myeong again. She was withdrawing into herself—and it hurt.
Roco sighed. 'If it really is this important to you, there might be something we could do. We have technology ...'
Myeong looked up with a start. The hope glittering in her eyes made Roco regret speaking of it. What if it didn't work?
'Fertility treatment?'
'To a point,' he said. 'But remember, it rarely works for Zibon women.'
'But I'm not Zibon.'
'And that makes it harder.'
She grabbed onto his wrist. 'Or maybe not. Alexis fell pregnant against all the odds ...'
'It doesn't mean she'll have the baby. She might yet miscarry. It might be malformed.'
Myeong gazed back beseechingly into his eyes.
He sighed again. 'So be it.'
*
'The Rictorian reproductive system is not the same. The ova, in particular, are quite dissimilar. It will be hard to determine your fertility and how we could fix it.'
Myeong stared up at the new doctor as he scanned her belly with something that looked a bit like a microphone. She wasn't used to him. He had long sideburns and long warm fingers. He was gentle as he touched her belly. She wondered where Miktar was but didn't enquire. His name was Reece. She'd seen him before, caring for Roco when he'd been infiltrated by the Wriling.
'Try anything. Try everything,' she said.
'It could be harmful,' Reece said. 'We must be careful.'
Roco was standing by the bench she was lying on, looking tense—and sad.
'I really don't think we should do anything at this point,' Reece continued. 'We need to conduct more research. Besides, it's only very early yet. You haven't been together long. It takes an average of two years before one of our females falls pregnant.
Myeong's eyes widened. 'Two years? But-but Alexis got pregnant within a couple of weeks!'
'Like I said, it's an average.'
'I can't wait two years. I need to—I need to know.'
'We'll take scans and blood tests and cellular scrapings.'
Myeong sighed.
'How is she, anyway?' Roco asked. 'That Rictorian, I mean. Her baby's still okay?'
Reece nodded. 'It's developing. And as far as we can tell, it's developing normally.' He was smiling. 'I hope you fall pregnant too. I hope you all do. Please trust that we will do everything we can to help you—but we need to study you more. I don't want to attempt any treatments that might mean permanent injury. It may even cause infertility. We are not the same species and we can't treat you as such. Do you understand?'
Myeong sighed. Already she could feel the tears building in her eyes. Roco gripped her shoulder. Myeong bit her lip as he helped her from the bench.
'Meanwhile, look after yourself,' Reece continued. 'A good diet. Physical activity. Enough sleep. Minimal stress. It will all help on improving the potential for conception.'
'And making love as often as possible,' Roco whispered in her ear.
Myeong gave a faint-hearted smile.
'Thank you,' Roco told him. 'Where is Miktar?'
'Didn't you hear? He has a female now. Captain Ream granted it.'
'Good for him,' Roco said. 'I'm glad.'
'He's excited. We're all excited. Like I said, we're desperate for another child. Captain Ream informs us that if it happens again, we will all be approved for bonding.'
'Really?' Roco said. 'We're not going to wait for the viability of the pregnancy?'
'That's what he tells us.' He grinned. 'I can't wait. All eyes on Zibon 8 are upon us. Are upon you. They're waiting.'
Roco and Myeong were quiet on their walk down back to their room.
'I feel nervous for Alexis,' Myeong said.
'Why?'
'It's a lot of pressure having the fate of a species resting upon your shoulders.' She looked up at him. 'What exactly will it mean for us? For Rictorians? You're not just going to keep kidnapping women, are you?'
'No. It'll be official.' He smiled at her ruefully. 'We're not just going to empty your planet of women. We'll have to negotiate.'
'And what happens if we don't want to negotiate?'
'I doubt it. We have so much we can offer you. You will.'
'But if worse comes to worst? What then?'
Roco was looking thoughtful. 'Well, in that event, I guess we will have to take what we want.'
'Will there—will there be war?'
'War? I hardly think so.' But he looked down at his shoes, his forehead furrowed.
Myeong thought of all that Reece had told her. Two years? And what if their treatments didn't work?
Roco slid his hand into hers. 'I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't help. I probably made things worse.'
Myeong squeezed his hand. 'You never make things worse. Besides, at least there's something that can help me. That can help us. There might be a way. Once there's a second pregnancy ...'
'... everything will be different,' Roco agreed.