"He hates me." I said, twirling my spoon around in some creamy paste for dinner.
I was sitting with Julie and Grivak, Vree had asked him to see me out to dinner again. For the fourth night in a row.
"You did explode your anger onto him." Julie reminded me, spooning some of the food into her mouth.
"I don't want to see him." I sighed. Vree said to Grivak to tell me that he'd come by to pick me up from the dining hall after I ate. It would be the first time we would actually have a more than two second interaction in days.
Julie put her spoon down, frowning, "How else will you win his love?"
I shrugged. "I fucked up and it's all my fault." I spooned some food into my mouth grumpily. Over the past few days I had realized what an idiot I've been, with my temper tantrums and mood swings.
Grivak smiled at me hopefully, "He's been repairing a lot of ships and helping train pilots. It can be stressful, do not blame yourself for it all."
"I've been a bitch." I said blandly.
Julie nearly choked on her food.
Grivak continued to eat, talking with his mouth full. Around us, other Frivrok men and their Earth women sat on picnic tables, in the grass, side by side as they ate merrily.
We had some odd stares, being that we were the only threesome for the past few days. People were starting to whisper. Especially since I'm Vree's "match". Word gets around fast when a woman is unwanted on a ship.
Basically, if a man doesn't want his woman here-- everyone thinks she's up for grabs.
"If you think that," Grivak said slowly, stuffing some food into his face as he spoke, intently scooping contents out of his bowl, "Then you should apologize." He said it as if it was the most simple thing. And maybe it was.
Just then, A thick boot propped itself up on the table next to my bowl. I side eyed it, following the boot and then looking up at the Frivrok male with long blond hair whom the boot belonged to.
"A woman should never apologize to her mate. If she is upset, it's the man's duty to find out why first." He said, his voice guttural and perhaps more accented than the others.
I wanted to roll my eyes in irritation. This was perhaps the fourth time these past few days a Frivrok man has tried to "claim" me because they think I'm on the market. This period of seduction mostly included bad pickup lines and statements about how impressive they are in bed.
Grivak put his food down, watching us closely, looking tense. Julie narrowed her eyes at him.
The Frivrok man leaned his face closer to me, I turned my head away, irritated.
"You're very pretty." He said it slowly and deeply as if trying to will out some reaction from me.
"Take a pic and jack off to it, buddy." I said plainly, stabbing my spoon into my bowl. Hopefully he didn't understand any of that terminology.
I scooted a way a bit to show my disinterest.
The first time this happened, Grivak nearly got into a fight. Then he realized I am way better at hurting a man's ego than he ever could, and decidedly left it to me to pick my own battles, especially after seeing how irritated I was that he thought he had to stand up for me.
I felt the man near me tense and twitch, he tilted his head, obviously a bit irritated with me now because I wasn't going on all fours for him.
Even if they're a hotter species, men still managed to find new ways to scare away women.
"I've been watching you." He said.
I scoffed, "Listen-"
He cut me off, "Vreekar hasn't been with you for days. Everyone knows you two are unfit. We've seen the bickering. He is not right to be your partner. I will be a better partner. I can please you better than any man ever could."
"No." I said sternly. "Get lost."
"Has Vreekar touched you yet?" He growled, "I know how to handle women."
I wanted to vomit, my lips curled in distaste, "I'm not interested."
He gripped my chin roughly, making me gasp in surprise. Grivak stood up.
"You god damn nearly broke my neck!" I screamed.
Simultaneously Grivak said, "Get off. She is not yours," In a more collected, warning voice.
I nearly felt all the eyes in the dining hall land on us. Murmurs began, to form, and I noticed a small ring of males inching closer, their eyes hungry. All looking at me.
"She is not yours, either." He eyed Grivak evenly. "Her 'match' does not want her. He is not here. He hasn't been here for her for almost a week. She's unclaimed."
I distanced myself by pushing the man off of me, but he immediately grabbed my wrist, gritting his teeth and staring at me, "You will be mine."
"I most certainly will not." I protested, narrowing my eyes, "I am not a thing to be owned. Your kind talks all about respecting women. You respect your women, what's this?" I lifted my hand in his face, eyeing his grip around my wrist.
"Let go of her." Grivak said, "I do not want to start anything."
"I am leaving here with a woman." The man said stubbornly.
"Oh my god, can you take a hint?" I tried to sound whiny and angry, but desperation began to sink into me. What was he going to do? He wanted to "claim" me, whatever the hell that meant.
I glanced at Julie who seemed frozen in her spot, standing slightly behind Grivak, never wavering in her narrowed stare.
He gripped his hold around my wrist, then nodded his head in Julie's direction, his stare condescending and directed at Grivak, "Troria riamorik, koai uzriik'tro umaariok. Ietrovri e troukloi hovri, azri trovutro aki." There was a hint of a challenge in his tone and the way his eyes gleamed with bloodthirsty delight.
Grivak immediately landed his eyes on me, he kept his face even, but something wavered behind his eyes. Something uncertain.
"What did he say?" I spoke up.
"Stop this." Grivak said. "She is spoken for." He stared intently at the man.
"Make your choice, comrade." He smiled devilishly.
I narrowed my eyes, looking at Grivak, "What did he say, Grivak?"
He looked me in the eye as if he was sorry, "You, or Julie."
The Frivrok man spoke up again, looking around and making his voice audible, "I will call upon a morukiimi."
The entire room seemed to hold their breath.
A Frivrok man stepped up from behind the one holding me down, "Promorek."
Another stepped up as well, "Promorek."
Soon, murmurs of the word "Promorek" and intent stares were all glued to me.
Grivak gulped, narrowing his eyes, obviously angered, "Trovēsoh ēsoh zriēkēdimiaisoh." He made his voice louder, glancing around, "Koai uzri uma kimer framisoh. Shroapro trovēsoh utro akdi!"
I sighed, lost and irritated and scared mashed into one, "What the hell is going on?"
The blond Frivrok man looked at me with a glint in his eyes, "I created a duel. We will fight, last Frivrok standing wins you."
I let out an incredulous and insulted huff, the man's grip seemed to loosen while he spoke, so I took it upon myself it yank myself out of his hold and step back.
"I am not something to be won. Stop this." I looked around hastily, "I have a match. Vreekar is my match. You can't fight for me if I'm spoken for."
The Frivrok man in front of me seemed genuinely confused and angered, "But he does not want you."
"Well I choose him!" I retorted, "Isn't that how this works? You guys can't possibly have a say if women are more valued in your society! So I choose him. I don't want you-- or anyone else. I want him. He's my match." I finished stubbornly.
He stepped towards me, eyebrows furrowed, "You will-"
"She will not do anything you tell her to." Vree's voice was even and in his usual nonchalant tone.
When he came into my vision, I felt my heart jump in my chest. His arms were crossed across his chest, muscles bulging. He looked at everyone in the room as if they were children up to their typical childish games.
"I do not know how these rumors began, but Naomi is my match. Don't be so foolish as to dare try killing yourselves over her." He looked at me in the eye, then nudged his head to the side. A silent gesture of, let's get out of here.
I looked to Grivak and he nodded, taking Julie by the hand and leaving first.
I walked up to Vree. He paused a moment before addressing the entire room again, "You're all being emotional and irrational. This is understandable. The Avalyn are boarding our ship tomorrow night. Hold off until then-- do not make further fools of yourself because of your bodily needs." He eyed the blond Frivrok man that seemed angered and defeated all at once.
Like he accepted he was at fault, but at the same time wanted to rip Vree's throat out.
Vree held his gaze, and then the blond Frivrok looked away.
Something startled me in the way he was able to stop what was about to happen from happening without even having to explain himself further. All he did was tell them I was his match and no one pried for further information or dared to interrogate him, which I wholly expected.
"Come." Vree held his hand out for me. I tried my best not to look startled or show any emotion. We were putting on a show. I knew it. Vree was just doing this because he felt "responsible" for me. He needed to make it clear to everyone that we were matched.
I took his hand and it felt warmer than I expected. He walked me out of the dining hall and into the hallway. Julie and Grivak met up with us, and we all walked in unison.
Vree said simply, "Trovookklo koi."
Grivak nodded, "Daizrisok." He paused, then began to speak again, "Etro riaimik kelk igrmiko ēfr koai katro sohhovarik." His tone sounded warning.
Vree's eye twitched a bit at the words spoken to him. I watched them carefully, as did Julie, neither of us knowing what was going on.
"I know." Vree responded evenly. We stopped at the entrance to Vree's place.
Julie looked at me, "Quoi?"
I shrugged, "Aucune idée."
Vree tugged me inside the flat before I could say goodbye. He finally let go of my hand.
"Um- Thank you." I said hastily. Speaking to him sounded awkward after not interacting for days.
He began to walk towards his room, until he stopped in the middle of the living room area. His back was towards me.
"You said you choose me." He stated simply, as if observing the weather. He seemed to be eyeing the dust that floated in the air.
"What?" I asked, not confused but taken a bit off guard.
"You said you choose me." He repeated, slower and evenly. He tilted his head, giving me his good eye. "That you want me."
I felt my face instantly flush red. Something changed in the way he looked at me. It was darker, more predatorial. Something alike to the way the blond Frivrok looked at me.
Except I wasn't bothered by Vree. Maybe a little scared-- but at the same time. . curious.
"A-and, you held my hand. And told everyone you were my match." I blinked, looking anywhere but at him, and began to walk forward and ahead of him to my room. I stopped at the door to my bedroom and shrugged, looking at him, "We both had to do things to get them to think we're together, right? That's all." I placed my hand on the door and slid inside before he had time to respond.
Memory Vree's voice dripped in my ear, "You want me."
I told my face to stop heating up before I walked over to my bed and buried myself beneath the sheets.
.:*:.