is supremely primeval. It took several decades… but I was finally able to make my ship work enough for me to escape the atmosphere and send out a message to the nearest fleet. That’s why I had to leave… I had to make sure the message was received…
“Yet, when I received the message, I was ordered to leave. To return home. I found that I couldn’t do that. Not yet… not without you.” Then he smiled at her.
“I never believed I would fall in love here… but I did, Andrea. I fell in love. I fell in love with you.”
Andrea stared into his eyes, overwhelmed with all this information, overwhelmed by his confession, overwhelmed by the feelings in her heart as she took it all in.
Yet, no matter how hard the logic in her mind insisted that she couldn’t do this, that she should return to her home, and return to her little job where things made sense, she couldn’t.
Because…
She fell in love too.
She was in love with Dom. And whether or not he came from this place or not, whether or not he outlived her by several hundred years, she loved him.
She loved him.
“I’m so sorry,” Dom said after a moment.
“For not telling you everything, for not being honest about who I am, for what I am.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Andrea said, shaking her head and sniffling.
“You’re here now…you came back. That’s what matters. I love you, Dom. I love you. You .”
Dom’s expression became like that of a child’s, vulnerable and open, awed and small all at once, and before either of them knew it, their lips were crashing together in a surge or desperate desire that left them both clinging to each other in ways she had never experienced before, and she had a feeling that Dom could agree.
“Don’t think you’re off the hook though,” Andrea said minutes later, scowling.
“You’re in big trouble.”
Dom chuckled, “So long as I’m with you,” he said before pressing his forehead to hers.
“I think I can handle it.”
Chapter 11
The Milky Way had always appeared in curious stain of lights in the night sky, always partially hidden by city lights or some other distraction.
This time, however, Andrea stared into the night sky and saw nothing but unfiltered space, black and deep and profoundly humbling. Above her, though, was a long stretch of stars so bright and impressive, she couldn’t help but stare in awe and feel so very tiny.
Her body felt light and weightless. Floating in the air as she stared into the sight above. For a long time, Andrea drank in the splendor of stars and constellations, curious about the secrets they harbored on their side of the universe.
Once, long ago, she had believed that she would only guess as to their secrets… now it felt as though she actually had a chance to find out.
Warm hands cradled up and around her bare stomach, pulling her close against a warm body as a pair of lips pressed against the tender spot of her neck and throat.
“You’ve been staring for quite some time now,” Dom whispered.
“Are you sure you don’t want to do anything else?”
“Not yet,” Andrea sighed, tilting her head back, her eyes still working over every star above.
“It’s amazing.”
“I suppose,” Dom replied.
“Then again, your kind is always so easily astounded.”
She nudged an elbow into his ribs, before another thought appeared to her.
“That reminds me, why do our species look so far alike?”
She turned so that she could behold his expression, see the fullness of his violet gaze unguarded beneath hers.
Dom smiled, “Believe it or not, but we share a common ancestor.”
“Monkeys?” Andrea grinned. Dom rolled his eyes.
“Another species.” He said, shaking his head.
“There was a vast empire once, a huge galactic empire renown as Ma’uranians, or rather that’s what old tales say. They had colonies as far as your galaxy and mine. The galaxy you call Andromeda, is actually known as Sa’ahkul in my planet. It is said that the
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