Weight of Penumbra Ch. 04

I followed him to his room, it was much like his dorm room at school. Everything in neat order, almost as if he never lived in it or someone was always depersonalizing it for him. The only difference was a picture on a table of him and his family. It was odd because almost no one had photographs almost everyone carried their pictures in their tablets and would display them in the console's presentation app. It had to mean something very special to him for him to have the photo in its original form, framed and sitting on his bedside table.

Gaelen was so tiny standing awkwardly in front of his father who had his hands on both of Gaelen's shoulders. His mother stood next to his father and two teen boys flanked their sides. His father looked remarkable different, he didn't have the cruel sadistic calculated smile that I had seen reacting to me in the den instead he had a genuine smile on his face. I would have never thought the man in the picture was a discriminating Y'vori of the worse kind. Cato was the essential ingredient of the nightmares people in the colony had of Y'vori.

I couldn't take my eyes off of this nobbed knee kid that I had fallen in love with. Gaelen also looked incredibly different, he was always a curious, rumbuntcious and playful kid as he was today, but he looked more sensitive and emotional. He seemed more human than he does now. If that is what I could pinpoint it too, he seems more fragile.

I picked up the photo and sat down on his bed. I glanced up and noticed that mischievous look that I often distracted me from my school work. I could only imagine what he was thinking and then I realized what. I was sitting on his bed. I quickly popped up off his bed and he chuckled, rolling his big unearthly green eyes.

"I'm not going to take your virtue, right now, but I have to admit I was thinking it. Seeing you sitting so close to my pillow, I imagine your hair draping on --"

"Gaelen." I interrupted. I had to, he was pushing all the right buttons for me. He took the picture frame out of my hand and placed it face down on his bedside table. Why was he embarrassed by the photo. He then pulled a notebook that looked so tattered and old from the drawer in the console and placed it in my lap.

The notebook swelled like it had been soaked in water and then dried. The pages crunched like fall leaves as I aimlessly turned the pages taking in the cursive penmenship. It loked so old.

"This is my great-grandfather's diary."

"Oh?" Where was this going?

"See look here." Gaelen carefully took the notebook out of my hand and turned methodically to a page and pointed to the passage. "Read it."

"Humans are vastly complicated and fascinating creatures. Y'vori will only survive on this planet and by joining with this humanoid species. I suspect that by doing this we will become a better people a higher being. It is my desire to immediately send word to the ship that we have made discovery of our new home and it will be wonderful with the added treat of such wonderful companions that will make Y'vori stronger and the possibilities are infinite as the humans create more with less and their innovative power and ingenuity is what the Y'vori need after witnessing so much destruction. It is my hope that we live together in harmony not in secrecy but unity." I read. "This is beautiful. If only it were true."

"It's funny you see that. Many did not see what you see." He tapped my knee as he contemplated. "You see most of the Y'vori have a copy of my great-great grandfather's diaries and many of them pay attention to a few sentences and phrases here and there. In this one, many thought he meant that Y'vori should live in harmony and unity not secrecy from humans. This spurred them to want to separate from humans."

"Is this like a Y'vori bible."

Gaelen hooted in laughter and I felt my face burn and my stomach become a flight with butterflies, I said something incredible stupid and naive. "Not quite, Mouse," he continued to laugh. "Its sort of a manifesto to most or a way founding father's philosophy of rule."

"Was he the King?"

"He was the explorer and the first explorer to find suitable habitat for us was to be named King. Our planet was on a collision path with another planet and we had a finite opportunity to find a new planet in another galaxy. My great-grandfather was a king-son of my great-great grandfather. My great-great-grandfather, the king, sent his 5 sons to search for a habitable planet and the son to return with the discovery of a new home was to become king. Because his birth order was the third son, is the reason why I am to be King."

"So is your father a king? I mean a Prince"

"No, he was the firstborn son of girls. His father, my grandfather was the firstborn of two girls was the only son of the Explorer. I am the first son born in the right birth order and a direct descendent to The Explorer. My mother was under tremendous pressure to birth me as a boy as you can imagine. I was the gem of their eye."

"In the photo?" I reached for the photo and he flinched as I turned it back over.

"Yes, during that time I was. That was before Eclipse."

"You are different here."

"Am I?" His eyebrows shot up and he leaned back against the wall, his legs spread dominating most of the space like he always did. Always commanding and filling the room. "I suppose I am. Those were simpler times before I knew I was to become Atlas and carry the world on my shoulder."

"Wow, you're quoting human history. You are really trying hard to impress me."

"I happen to find Greek philosophy enlightening and important to at least have a trivial knowledge of if you are to rule a planet."

"Yes, trivial knowledge is all you need to rule a planet," I rolled my eyes and he playfully hissed.

"Come here," he patted the bit of bed left, motioning me to occupy a seat close to him. He brushed my braids off of my shoulder and kissed my neck. God, I am going to swoon if he keeps this up.

"Gaelen," I tried to interrupt his continuing trail of kissed led by such sweet lips that trailed behind my ear, his other hand gently cradling me closer to him. I felt heat all over and my breath hitch with air like I had begun running a marathon. "Gaelen."

"I want you so much," he whispered heatedly in my ear and then sucked on my earlop violently and then releasing it, his eyes searching mine -- tinged with fear and lust. "I want to be a good leader, Kiowa. I want to make the world what my great-grandfather saw it should be. But I don't know if I can?"

"Because of your father?"

"Yes, and every general, and general's child is eagerly awaiting me to kill every last human being on this planet. It wont be like before, an easy kill, they want me to punish the humans that are revolting and the Y'vori that , in their eyes have betrayed their species. "

"People like Haazic's brother"

"Yes, like Samson X."

"When you are king you can do whatever you want to?"

"I'm a defect."

I sighed, ok, I guess their were benefits of him knowing I was human, I no longer had to put on fronts that I knew what he was talking about. "What's a defect exactly?"

He burst into laughter again so hard tears were flowing down his cheeks. He grabbed my head and kissed my cheek hard and continued to bubble with happiness. My heart glealed, I make him happy.

"Yes I suppose you are not a defect after-all. You are pretty defective in terms of Yvori, you are fully human, but it still doesn't explain your powers. How did you get on so long amongst us at school, without us finding out that you were the human. You rarely used you powers."

"I suppose I thought before I acted which is something that I think you really need to learn." He had a notorious habit of throwing a tantrum causing a whirlwind of problems for anyone in his wake when he was angry and his powers were surging.

"Hey, I did think and stopped when it counted and thank the stars I did. I don't know what I could do without you."

"Ok, so what's a defect?"

"Some of my Y'vori talents are stunted and I am susceptible to sickness, others see it as having a lot of unnatural affinity with earthling humanity. It's a sign that we are not in accordance to a few phrases in my grandfather's diary. Being human like emotionally, intellectually or physically is a very bad thing for a Y'vori."

"How did you get your powers?"

"I don't know. I don't know of anyone in the colony that has the ability to do what i can do." I said plainly but my mind was vividly recounting the first time I had used my mind to move food away from me when I was little. I didn't like my mom's can-heated spinach. I knew she tried to make it special by adding cream to it, which was also hard to come by but it tasted wretched and I was childish and pushed it away. But instead of sliding the plat away from me with my hand, I slide the plate 2 feet away from me with my mind.

"It is highly frowned upon but maybe your dad was Y'vori?"

"He wasn't. My mother verified that he was human when we both questioned why I was able to do what I can do."

"Well, we are an odd pair. And I don't care who frowns on us. I love you."

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ.ºO•❥❧•~•❧❥•Oº Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

✯✮✰~Gaelen~ ✰❂✬

Dinner was atrocious. I hadn't been so thoroughly humiliated in my entire life -- and that says a lot. Kiowa saw the condescending way my Father spoke to me throughout the entire dinner. I was so angry. It's as if he wanted to see me blow my seams.

This is not what I wanted Mouse to see.

My face still burns as if someone had slapped me. I'm so furious and hurt at the same time.

Fuck, I think I'm on the verge of tears.

I don't know what I feel more at this moment.

I light up my entire room like a CERN Hadron Collider, and everything not nailed down or attached to the console floats in the air around me. The room matches my emotions swirling violently into a twister.

Thank the planets, Bellas and Nyna skipped dinner. Although, I'm sure the news of my affection for our human guest would reach him. I was only taking a raincheck on the ridicule I would receive from him. But I don't care because loved Mouse and if I had to endure it all to have her -- then so be it.

"Gaelen," Mouse's voice was so meek outside my door, it snapped me out of my inner turmoil. I had to calm the fuck down. If she saw me on edge like this, ready to cause a black hole, she would be terrified of me again.

It took me a moment to calm the fuck down but the more I tried the more my blood boiled with the words of my father ringing ever the more loudly in my head.

"Your weakness is stronger than your senses and you allow it. It's better to have a son for a Rebel than a defect for a King." His final blow, right before I stormed away from the dinner table making a scene.

I didn;t realize Kiowa entered my room until I saw her stifle a scream. It must have been worse than I had thought. I felt numb to her hand gently touching my shoulder.

"It's okay Gaelen. I don't think any different of you. Gaelen? I'm worried. Come on." She took my hands into her own and kissed my cheek that was trembling. My skin rippling like waves of the ocean and I was sweating profusely. But her kiss was all I could feel. I turned to her and swooped her into my arms and dropped her gently to my bed leaning carefully over her like she was a porcelain doll. Fuck, I knew she could feel how hard I was for her.

Her damnable sweater and ... fuck, how many layers was she wearing? I had to find her skin, I had to touch her soft skin, see it, kiss it. But as I fumbled to pull the heavy wool sweater over her belly she stopped my conquest with my her hands.

Damn, I was so close. My heart raced like a horse it made me more nervous.

"Not yet," she whispered and I sighed. I closed my eyes tightly trying to think of anything else, cold showers, double chins, hairy knuckles anything to take my mind off of how close I was to my girlfriend. But then she pulled me into her and kissed my lips.

"You are perfect Gaelen. Just the way you are," She kissed my cheek and settled her head against my chest.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Never in my life had I been validated. I was always told to become better be something that I could never be. I was a defect and the whole purpose of a defect was that it could not be fixed, despite how much it angered my father. I would never be the king that he had dreamed of but all his pride in me dashed because I had a defect. I had a feather's gram of humanity that weighed an atomic ton.

"You are perfect just the way you are Gaelen." she kept saying. My little mouse was kissing me back with such passion and vigor while saying the most life changing words. I began to cry. Fuck, I am weeping and shuddering with blubbering tears. Mouse cradled me to her. I whimpered in tears in her arms.

She had heard it all. How disappointed my father was in me. How he had hoped for a son and then how difficult it was to have his dreams dashed. All the while passing around green beans and smirking as if his words didn't affect me. But he knew they did. He knew I felt more because of my defect. I swear he was only doing it for some sick twisted experiment of a hypothesis he was testing when it came to Kiowa. Maybe he suspected as I had that she was part Y'vori. How else could she pass the test, let alone have powers, thankfully, which he did not know of.

The conversation had been light originally. My father asking questions about human sleep and dreams. Y'vori don't dream, it's a part of a primitive mind to dream. I dream all the time and I love the fact that I dream. Sometimes I would stay in bed all day just so I could dream. Kiowa being informative and educated as ever cited some anthological answer that would impress Professor Windsor were he there. It seemed the display of Kiowa's incredible smarts was what tipped him into the bitter zone as I had called it growing up. The zone where he began to zero in on how messed up I was.

"I understand that you are one of Professor Windsor's best students and you have even tutored my son." He remarked with his eyebrows scurrilously planning something behind comments. "Gaelen how does it feel to have to be taught by a human to make up for your failing."

"Professor Windor's class is very hard. Everyone has to study to even get the lowest passing grade. No one is able to pass without work." Kiowa diplomatically answered. God, I smiled so brightly, she would make the most magnificent and confident queen when I become King.

"Yes, I can imagine. But the King should at least pass without the help of a frail often baser intelligence scale being to a Y'vori."

"Not everyone is the same. Some people are gifted in areas that are not as overt."

"Yes, I am well aware of the idiot savant. My son is not a savant by far, but you my dear, we considered you are an idiot savant. But surprisingly you are not. Before Eclipse, your species was keen on keeping its idiots and baser individuals at hand. Why wouldn't you just sign an agreement of peace instead you make these conditional terms and then try to help huge issues that are bigger than their loyalty level. I believe you called them disabled or challenged. Well, he won't be able to tell you anything because Y'vori we discharge our challenged people. they are of no use to us and they only bring us down with their poor genetic code."

"Are you implying that you would kill Gaelen."

"If he weren't born king. Yes."

Kiowa's hands reached mine under the table. I could cling to this moment for the rest of my left. I feel the energy surging through her. She squeezed my hand tightly as if she wanted me to know that she was on my side, but it also began to crackle and I squeezed it back. She had to reign it in quick because she was going to reveal herself. It was amazing that this little mouse human had so much care for me that she would challenge my father on my behalf. "You are a horrible person."

"I am not a person. I am Y'vori and so is my son, defect in all. He is Y'vori and he will fulfill his duties and that is to rule this planet and end human dominion on it once and for all.

"Father, didn't you say that Kiowa's stay was to be peaceful. This certainly doesn't sound very peaceful," I tried to calm him down before he took the bitter zone to a new level and attacked Kiowa. She was still sparking and electrocuting my hand. She needs to calm down and quick.

Oh fuck, her hands are crawling up my back -- bringing me out of my memories of that horrible dinner and into the present. Me under Mouse. Mouse being bold in her exploration of my body. I leaned in closer to her to let her know that I was really feeling it for her too. I wanted her so badly, I had cried like a baby and then had my passion awaken by her all in the same minute. this woman is incredible. but she didn't need a crying baby to make love to her. tonight was not the night. I fell back onto my side and pulled her in close to me inhaling her intoxicating aroma.

"Mouse, stay with me. We wont-" I began to reason and defend so she wouldn't be scared off.

"I will." She interrupted and then snuggled closer to my body and closed her eyes. This was heaven.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ.ºO•❥❧•~•❧❥•Oº Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

"Good Morning Mr. Bogias," a familiar voice greeted me as I shuffled into the kitchen to start a quick breakfast. Kiowa was still fast asleep in my bed. I loved thinking that phrase in my head even though nothing happened between us.

"Professor Windsor? Why are you here?"

"We are to have a meeting with your father today concerning your crowning and return to school."

"Great," I said sarcastically and opened a cartoon of left over OJ from Kiowa's sole human dinner. I guzzled the sweet orange fruit drink that was so refreshing. I wanted to be as rude as possible to Windsor but he wasn't leaving.

Fuck, Windsor, he's a fucking buzzkill to my non-sex but awesome-closeness-to-Kiowa-afterglow.

"Must you always be such a buzzkill. It's my vacation and I just woke up. Can you at least let a man scratch his balls and shower before ordering him to the war table."

Windsor raised one of his sharp grey eyebrows ins corn of me and I only rolled my eyes.

"Mr. Borgias, you won't scratch your balls against that human anytime soon. You are going to report to me daily when school starts to catch you up and fight this defect of yours so you might as well get used to not having any opportunity to scratch your balls as you have so eloquently put it. You've got one hour to eat dress and do whatever you want before meeting with your father. Bane and Taxa are also on their way as well."

"Fuck, this is some official meeting i guess."

"Yes. the future of the world hinges on your shoulders," With that Windsor left me at peace and sulked down the hall, probably to find my father and create plans for an apocalypse.

Great! This was not the way I had planned on starting my morning after having the most amazing night with Kiowa. I padded out of the kitchen and saw to my room, she was still tangled in the bedsheets of the bed fast asleep.

I crawled back into bed with her. I had one hour and I was going to make the best of it. I snuggled close to Kiowa and gently pulled her close to me. She looked so peaceful and feminine sleeping in bed, her adorable mouth slightly open with a soft whisper of air whisping past her dewy lips. I kissed her forehead and trailed kisses to the bridge of her nose.

"My sweet, I think I am falling in love with you with every minute I am with you." I kissed her lips and pulled her to me tightly, "Wake up, Mouse."

Her brown eyes popped open and warmth filled them. She hummed and stretched against my body. She kissed me again.

"Did you sleep well?" she asked.

"I dreamt of you."

She purred and tangled her fingers in my hair, sending electric flashes through my body with just a simple touch. "Charmer you."