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A few more days passed. Not a word from the stars, and still, a rumbling in Tyra's mind. Her conversations with Joshua continued, though stilted and occasionally awkward, yet enjoyable. Each passing hour was a reminder that she had to say something about all of this. Curiously, Joshua didn't ask about whether or not they could leave. He seemed content to float here, and talk with her. Likely he was waiting for her word, which not even she could draw forth.

It wasn't fair. Not to him. Not to her. Tyra couldn't sit in silence much longer.

One of their artificial nights brought this to a head. They lay there in their cots, not a word passing between them. Tyra could hear his breathing in the silence of the ship. He was most certainly still awake. It would likely be an unnerving revelation to Joshua, if he knew she was listening to the heave of his lungs. But she could do nothing else in those times of quiet, endlessly pondering her selfish future.

It would have to end now.

“Joshua," she said softly. “Are you awake?"

Tyra could see him from the corner of her eye, comfortably resting underneath a blanket. Almost a shame to shatter that sense of calm, but now was the only time she could wrangle her screaming thoughts. Though, underneath that screaming was a quiet, oozing desire for their pursuers to appear, pushing back this pathetic admittance of emotions. She crushed it.

“Yeah. I think my brain is on the fritz without a real sunrise. Not sure how anyone gets any sleep in space," he replied.

A pause. They looked to each other.

“What was on your mind?" he asked.

“I have thoughts to share, in reference to our… handshake."

Joshua looked upward. “Right." His voice flattened. He knew. “What about it?"

Tyra looked upward as well, grinding her mandibles. “I'm sure you know that isn't how it's performed."

“I had my guesses, yeah."

Thoughts buzzed in Tyra's head. How could she do this? What was the path to victory? No. That wasn't the goal. There was no winning Joshua. He liked her, or he did not. You do not convince a human of a romance, she told herself.

Simply tell him.

“I wanted a kiss. I took it." Tyra stopped in her tracks, words caught in her body. Why was it so hard to say? Those simple words would wash away all this uncertainty.

Joshua swallowed. “Any reason why?"

“I love you."

Tyra froze as her horns eased upward. Psychologically, she was terrified. Physiologically, she was on display. She silently cursed her anatomy and lowered them.

“That is all I had to say," she said. “I'm sorry."

Joshua said nothing for a while, still staring. His breathing had altered, stilted, as if the thoughts in his head stopped the unconscious process. Of course it would. How else would a human react if told an alien loved them? It would have been best to leave this emotion to rot.

“Why are you apologizing?" he asked.

“Rude to simply confess a strong emotion such as that, and steal a moment of affection."

“It's not like I pulled away," he said.

“A moment of shock."

“Surprising, maybe. New, definitely. Shock? No." He paused. “I was curious what it was about, but asking about those things really isn't my forte. Do you… feel bad that you like me?"

“It's selfish."

“Why?"

“Taking advantage of you in a dire situation. No doubt the flood of chemicals we've felt from our worst moments might have confused our thoughts, believing there may be some genuine love. If I say something now, you may very well fall for it." She joined her hands together, squeezing them. “Were we in any other circumstances, this would not have happened."

Joshua sat up. “Why can't it be genuine?"

“It seems too impossible, Joshua."

“If there were any other circumstances, I wouldn't have been able to learn who you are or what you're like," he said. “Kinda contradictory there."

“Then…" Her hands squeezed tighter.

Joshua's hand reached over, gently tugging on her arm. She could feel his skin, impossibly smooth as always, grace her hard chitin. Tyra sat up. Weakness showed in his expressive eyes. Not fear, or sadness, but a glimpse at his vulnerability. No humor or masculinity to hide his emotions, simply Joshua.

“You're the best gal I know." Joshua's eyes focused on hers. “That wasn't a lie, but I think… I think it's becoming more and more true every day."

“It can't be." Tyra's posture deflated.

“I doubt any other women would have kept me going as long as you have. Came up with all the plans, listened to all my stupid jokes, even kept me fed. Even just talking kept me sane."

“Selfishly."

“Maybe at first. You're not being fair to yourself at this point."

“And you? How do you feel about it?" she asked.

Joshua's eyes briefly widened. “I'll be the first to admit, you have more bravery than me to just say that out loud."

Then did he feel the same?

“Would you have let me go?" she asked. “If we had found our separate homes?"

“No. Especially not after that kiss." He shook his head. “I don't know what I would have done, but it's a once in a lifetime chance to meet a girl like you, right? I keep going over it in my head, wondering if something like that can work out between us."

“So you do have your fears, then."

“I'm human, we're all scared for different reasons. Guess I thought maybe I was deprived of anyone else for so long that I just fell for you."

Fell for her. A spark of dubious love. Tyra's plates shifted.

He perked up. “But I think even if I went back to my old life, I'd still always think about you, Tyra. Even if I surrounded myself with clueless chumps who didn't care about what I had done. 'Scuse the name. I know it's not your real one, but I've got my human limits, right?"

Tyra dipped her head. “I wear it proudly."

“Good to hear." He smiled, briefly casting his gaze away. “Maybe we should do it right this time."

No elaboration was needed for Tyra. They moved closer, strange lips joining one another. The motion was strangely natural to her now, smoothly shifting into place. Tyra made sure to listen to Joshua's body more closely this time, hearing how his heart fluttered as they joined, proving the excitement coursing through his body.

Their kissing may have been a maligned one. Neither creature designed for the task, but Tyra melted into it all the same, her hands eager to explore a familiar yet alien form. She ran a hand slowly up his arm, sliding past his shirt, and settling on his neck. A sensitive array of arteries pumped through it, exciting further as she graced his skin. The tips of her fingers brushed against that interesting mammalian hair. She ventured forward, letting her hand push through every strand, and soaking in the silky sensation through the setae on her hands.

Joshua, while more initially hesitant, explored Tyra in much the same way. His gentle hands caressed her shell, quickly finding the more sensitive portions of her body where her joints met. Her plates shifted again and her horns came forward, bracing against his head. His fingers traveled up, and up, and up, settling against her neck.

A curious probing muscle reached out from Joshua's mouth, prodding at Tyra's inner mouth parts. She accepted it, letting their sensitive bodies intermingle. A strange thing, using tongues for this sign of affection, but admittedly a dash of oddity she found arousing. Soft, fleshy, and tasted of Joshua. Her personal pheromones oozed.

Those sensitive hands from Joshua traveled ever upward, past her nape, across the top of her head and sliding into the natural indentations where her horns would lay. Tyra shuddered, letting out a groan from deep inside of her. She nudged her head forward, encouraging his little touches, rewarding him with more massages of the tongue.

Their experimentation continued a while longer before it wound down and they both slowly pulled back. While delight filled Tyra, she also felt a flash of embarrassment for her enthusiasm.

“Excitement got the better of me," she said.

“I can't say it didn't hit me either."

Despite their distance, Tyra could still hear his heart hammer. A lovely telltale that Joshua was honest in his words. They were left there, trading curious glances at one another. Tyra wasn't exactly sure what to do next. She wasn't exactly rife with knowledge on how to approach this. Joshua seemed much the same way, though that could easily be attributed to her being an alien life form. Sometimes it was hard to remember only one of them had done research into the other.

Arousal still sparked in Tyra, but she knew she shouldn't act on it. Not now. A kiss was no pretense for sexual contact like this. Joshua knew little of her anatomy, regardless. It was still possible he might find her form too strange to deal with. Additionally, it was possible he was caught up in the excitement more than he thought. More than she thought.

Maybe all this time fretting over the relationship had Tyra cement into wanting it all the more. Jumping into it without considering the feasibility of such a thing.

“Perhaps we should rest now," she said. “We may think about this more when we wake."

“Yeah… Yeah, that seems best." He wore a small smile. “Goodnight, Tyra."

“Goodnight."

Tyra lay back down, as did Joshua. Her thoughts slowly roused themselves from the mindless excitement. Maybe he felt trapped. Maybe this was all a mistake. Maybe this was some form of survival mechanism. Several of these questions ran through her head, none finding any proper answers. Paranoia found its home in her yet again.

No. Wait until it plays out.

That attempt at calming her nerves did little to help, but she clung to it as desperately as she could. Tyra tilted her head to look at Joshua. His eyes were closed, and his breathing still active. Must have been trying to sleep as desperately as she was, and also caught up in the bizarreness of his situation. An odd comfort to know he was going through the same issues she was.

Tyra looked back up again, trying to will herself to a comfortable sleep. Comfort would not come, but sleep did.

_

Tyra was the first to awake, as usual. A quick glance at the universal clock confirmed it had only been about, in Joshua's terms, seven hours since they had gone to bed. That was roundabout the correct time for a human to sleep. She could only hope that he actually managed those seven hours. Tyra herself was plagued by brief moments of wake that lapsed back into uneasy rest.

Amusing to think she had not been this panicked during any other moment with him. In a way, Tyra supposed, this might have been more serious than any of them. At least, emotionally. One hardly had to worry about their future if they ended up dead. Now, an entire mess of tunnels lay before Tyra, leading to any number of lives waiting to be carved.

It was easy to guess that she wasn't going to be able to get back to sleep, so Tyra carefully hefted herself up, crawling out of the little hole in the ground that was their bed, and headed for the decontaminator. A shift in her guts made her stop in front of the ration cabinet. She plucked out a small wafer snack and picked away at it.

“Morning," Joshua said, rising from his cot.

Tyra froze for a moment. “Good morning. I did not mean to wake you."

“Good that you did. I'd probably still be out the entire day if you hadn't." He stretched, letting out a cute groan of exhaustion. “Got any for me?" he asked, stepping out of the hole and moving up to her.

“Of course." She picked out a wafer and handed one to him.

Joshua took it, sliding the whole thing into his mouth and munching down on it. There was a spot of silence between them, and Tyra knew exactly what she wanted to say.

“I was headed for a shower," she said.

“Yeah?"

“Would you care to join?"

It took an impressive amount of will for Tyra not to immediately add an apology to that statement. She instead shifted her attention back to her wafer, focusing on its flavor. Nonetheless, she could see Joshua tense out of the corner of her eye, fluid expressions twitching ever so subtly.

“I think I'd like that," he said. “If you're sure, that is."

A part of her screamed “yes" but she merely answered with a nod. It could easily be said that Tyra was doing this for her own gratification, but she knew that humans bathed together as a form of bonding. This would be the same, correct? Her thoughts scrambled to check if that was correct. It was a smaller point in various human cultures, but it was possible he was from one that found it odd. Then, he might've agreed out of a similar interest in her own form.

Tyra then realized he was waiting for her to lead the way. She turned on the spot, downing her wafer, and stiffly moved over to the decontamination chamber, stepping inside. Joshua slipped inside after her. Just his presence alone in this room was exciting. It was a place of exposure, vulnerability, and she could share it with him, finally. Tyra decided to start the water spray, tapping away at the screen before turning back to Joshua.

Already, Joshua had removed his shirt. Not that she hadn't seen him before without it, or without his clothes at all. Their scenario simply made it all the more exciting. Odd how that bit of psychology worked. Appropriate places for excitable behavior with certain persons.

Tyra couldn't exactly tantalize in the same way, but she removed her jumpsuit all the same, letting it slip from her body. Joshua stared hard, though he was clearly trying to be modest about it. No doubt some part of him was curious what she looked like underneath, even barring any sort of potential arousal. It was the same for her, both raw curiosity and adoration of the body joining in her mind, letting it run wild with excitement.

A warm mist began to proliferate into the room. The wetness soaked into her plates, heightening the delight she already felt running through her nerves. She could see his colorful form sparkle with dew, causing a craving in her to touch, to feel. Tyra held herself back. Slowly. Carefully. Enjoy your time.

Next, Joshua stepped out of his lower attire. Tyra had kept her head focused on his expression, but she couldn't help but let her vision wander lower, staring at his genitalia. They were bare, stuck in a moment of admiration. They weren't far from Joshua simply taking her, right then and there.

Joshua stepped closer to her, hands drawing up to her hips. Tyra nearly froze at the sudden touch. A rousing fire pushed her to touch back, nudging her chest up against his, feeling his heart hammer through her. She carefully followed his movements, bringing her hands to his rear, and tracing up his back. She noted every bone that lie under his skin as she sunk her fingers into his soft body.

“I didn't think that touch of gold at your neck extended all the way down," Joshua said. There was a nervous humor in his tone. One of his hands drew to her chest, running a finger down its central ridge to its highest point.

The small motion made Tyra lightly shudder. Her horns raised. “Do you like it?" she asked. It felt awkward asking these simple, silly questions, but she wanted to know all the same.

“I do." He leaned down and planted a kiss on her chest. “I guess you're a little more familiar with my body than I am with yours."

“The form is familiar, but it is still uniquely yours. I still wish to explore it."

Something stirred near her legs, warmly pressing into her thigh. Tyra's curiosity got the better of her. She slightly pulled back, spotting Joshua's growing erection.

“Sorry about that," he said.

“No apologies needed for your arousal." She tentatively reached for it, gently holding it in her hand. Joshua's erection pulsed in her hands, growing harder by the second.

Not only was it a first for her, but likely in all actuality, a first for her species. And his. Tyra would have enjoyed this moment either way. The grandiosity of it added more of an enjoyment. Perhaps… it even added to a sort of taboo delight to indulge in something alien to her form. The first to break this barrier constructed by a sworn hatred. She did her best to stow away those thoughts. The enjoyment had to come from Joshua himself, his presence, his person. This was all about enjoying him first and foremost. And a little bit of him enjoying her, of course.

Tyra's grip around Joshua's erection tightened as it grew to full size in her palm, lightly twitching.

“I suppose that means I can turn you on?" she asked. That was hopefully the right vernacular. She added a breathy tone to her voice, trying to settle into his human ideas of arousal.

“More than a little," he replied.

There was a warmth that began to build in her body. Somewhere in her abdomen she could feel her body shifting, opening. Her pelvic plates lightly widened, stirring at the idea of a proper mate so close to her. Tyra began to gently stroke him, moving her hand from the tip of his erection down to the base. His breathing hitched at her touch, followed by a low sigh. Her plates widened further.

“How should I…?" he asked.

Her horns twitched at that unfinished question. Tyra used her other hand to lead one of his own. She turned his palm upward, and manipulated his fingers to rest against her entrance. One index finger and one ring finger at the side of her widening entrance. The middle one pushed up against that entrance, teasing it, daring it to open further.

“Rub," she whispered.

Tyra's body tensed as Joshua pushed his soft fingers up against her. The tease of opening up further, accepting a probing finger into her body made her legs shiver. She was not far from accepting him. Nothing separated them now. Not physicality, not emotions, nothing. The precious man in front of her, the one that had made her laugh, had comforted her through the pain, and kept her alive. She continued to stroke him, other hand shifting to caress his face. They locked eyes, immediately pulling each other into a kiss.

The moisture in the air enhanced all the tastes and smells of Joshua, accepting more of his presence into her. Her mind focused on the member in her hands, making sure to tend to it when she could, just as much as he gently played along her lower lips. Joshua's inexperience in her anatomy didn't preclude him from finding her sweet spots, managing to make her shudder on command. Tyra did her best to push back in their little game, running a thumb over the head of his cock, producing a lovely jerk of the hips.

The two pulled back from their kiss, just as Tyra opened fully to accept her partner. To accept Joshua. He teased a finger in carefully, watching her closely. Tyra gave a shaky nod, hips easing forward to accept his probing digit. Her plates shifted again, nearly clamping around him out of an instinctual desire.

“Everything OK?" he whispered.

Tyra nodded. “Continue."

Joshua obliged, pressing his finger further in, bumping up against her vulnerable interior, sparking pleasure in ways she hadn't even considered. The desire to have his member inside of her grew further. Were they ready for that? Could they do it? Would he even want to?

Those thoughts fell silent under the raw vision of Joshua thrusting against her, filling her with a viscous stream of his fluids in a desperate attempt to breed her, to love her. Tyra's horns snapped up and down, her pelvic plates widening further. Embarrassment joined her arousal, and she turned her head.

“Apologies. That means I would like to be with you," she said.

“You're already kind of holding onto my display that says the same," he replied.

That was true. More than true. No need for apology when both of them were on such proud display. Tyra had to admit to herself that she only intended this as a lustful bonding exercise, showing off one another to better acclimate them to the idea of an alien partner. Now it had shifted to something deeper. She stared at his erection. While her logical mind had tended to create reasons as to why this wasn't to be, now it was bending everything to her arousal.

Tyra tentatively placed a hand on his shoulder. It was going to happen. She gently nudged him down. Joshua quickly got the idea, removing his exploring digits and getting down onto the ground with her. With some further goading, he lay flat on his back. Tyra straddled him, entrance hovering over that alien organ of his. His twitching erection. Her own fluids slicked her genitalia, eager to indulge in the taboo of a creature from so far away.

This would be a first for her in so many ways.

Taking Joshua's erection in-hand, Tyra guided his member to press against her entrance. She was entirely slick, and as a result, the warm tip of his cock nearly slid away, but she persisted, sliding it into her. Tyra froze as the head penetrated her, horns snapping forward and back again. Its warmth bled through her armored plates and teased the more vulnerable interior of her body.

Tyra gave a curt nod. Joshua returned it.

Farther, and farther down. Tyra slowly eased onto his erection. Joshua's girth wasn't exactly suited for her body, lightly pushing back more than she expected, but she loved every inch of it. He continued to twitch inside of her, sending a jolt of delight through her nerves. Soon enough, she had taken all of him, her hips meeting his own. The way it throbbed inside of her was unlike anything she had ever felt.

“This… This may feel strange," she said.

Something inside her shifted, easing onto the tip of Joshua's erection. It was intensely hot against her own organ, a fleshy orifice that grabbed onto him in tandem with her squeezing walls. Joshua moaned, ending in a shuddering sigh. They were locked into position. Tyra shuddered at the thought, being so intimately joined with him.

They weren't made for each other at all, and yet it felt like he fit perfectly. Tyra couldn't resist any longer. Her own organ began to suckle at his tip, urging him to spill his seed inside. Joshua hissed and placed his hands on her hips. There was a trickle of pre-cum that she quickly took up inside her, the first bit of his fluids that settled into her.

There had to be more.

Tyra began to gyrate her hips against his, shifting his cock around inside her. She remained fixated on his visage, eager to please and worried that this strange pairing hadn't harmed him. Only bouts of pleasure spread across his face, delighting her. She picked up her pace, hoping to draw more out of him. Reflexively, her internal muscle suckled harder. The warm mist of the shower only further added to the arousal in that moment. The heat was piling inside of her. Tyra's horns locked forward.

“Horns. Horns!" she said. “Grab them. Please." Tyra tilted her head down.

Joshua reached up, grasping her sensitive extensions. Tyra let out a low chittering. His handling was light at first, almost worrisome, but he quickly tightened his grip on her, giving her a wonderful light-headedness. She tugged against him, urging on that drunken delight. Her own personal pheromones oozed, dribbling over her head and spattering onto Joshua. Much like he marked her, she was marking him. All was right. They were meant to be together.

Through all of the excited grinding, Tyra realized Joshua must be nearing his end, his orgasm. It was only a hasty guess, with the way his expressions moved and his cock strained. She slowed to a halt. Joshua pushed his hips forward with a gasp then eased back. They remained there, staring at one another. His hands left her horns. She let warm air flow through her, a vain attempt at calming down.

“It would be… unfair to do this my way only."

“I'm fine with it." Joshua took a few more deep breaths. “You're amazing."

Tyra clasped her hands together in embarrassment, holding them to her chest.

“And you are, as well," she replied. Tyra leaned forward, bringing her face up to his. “But, I would like to do it how you would," she whispered. “Please. From behind."

Joshua swallowed and nodded. With some mental effort, Tyra was able to pull off of Joshua's erection and stand up. He followed suit. Her gaze remained stuck on his member. A lascivious thought hit her. That was embedded deep inside of her, and she wanted it again. Her gaze moved up to his chest, where excitement had taken hold and her pheromones spattered onto him. He raised a hand to it, dipping his finger into it.

“Apologies, let me clean you."

“No, no." He rubbed his fingers together, spreading it around.

It was oddly erotic seeing him touch her fluids like that. And then, Joshua scooped the rest of it into his hand. He brought the stained hand down to his erection, where her slathered it in her mess. Oh. Tyra's horns snapped back and forth again. Oh, dear. She moved over to the wall and braced against it, sticking out her rear. There was one more piece to make this all better, to add more erotic spice.

“Take me," she said.

That was enough to push Joshua into action. He approached her from behind, pressing into her entrance yet again, hands gripping her waist. Tyra's body tensed briefly, only to relax back down. The lustful mixture of her own fluids and his allowed for a far smoother penetration this time. Joshua slid into her with a groan, his grip tightening. Tyra faltered for a moment, but stayed upright.

There was a certain amount of mental effort Tyra had to exert to stop herself from closing up around Joshua's member. No, now it was his turn, and he could enjoy her as he pleased. As raw as he wanted. His erection pushed further and further in, until she hilted him. They were now properly joined. The tip of his cock pressed up against that milking organ in her body, warming it up all over again.

Joshua began a slow forward and back, humping her, fucking her. It was the wrong way to do this, and it was so very wonderful that it was. Tyra's hands dug into the walls with every thrust, evoking a small guttural warble with each one. She listened to Joshua's own delighted moans and hisses. His thrusting increased, and the quiet slap of flesh against her armored hide joined their excited sounds.

Tyra almost entirely lost herself in the strange mating. Her body wasn't designed for the repeated pressing of pleasure, but it was just enough not to spill into overstimulation. His length seemed to grow hotter by the second. Harder. Faster. Tyra's walls closed ever so slightly around him, allowing her to better feel every inch of him grind up against her. She loved his strange body, but that was nothing compared to the thought that they were in love. This lustful, rapturous romance made everything all the better.

An orgasm was fast approaching. Tyra could feel Joshua's erection jerk as his legs became shaky. He groaned as the first rope of semen shot into her. Her mind briefly blanked, wholly focused on the roiling fluid settling inside of her. Joshua's thrusting came to a full stop, his entire length embedding into her. Tyra's internal organ latched onto the tip. Joshua shuddered, taking deep breaths. It was just in time for the next stream to fire into her deepest parts, settling right where her eggs would lay. Joshua was in essence, fertilizing her. She chittered, horns locking forward as her own arousal hit its peak. Her hips pushed back against him, gyrating.

There was one final dribble of cum, then Joshua's softening manhood pulled free, leaving a trail of his seed. Tyra simply stood there, trying to calm her shivering body. Briefly, his hands left her body, only soon to return to her side, goading her upright. She could feel his cum inside her shift with the new orientation. Tyra's horns relaxed back into place and she looked to Joshua. Exhaustion had hit him, but it wasn't enough to hide the obvious concern in his expression. He took a few heaving breaths, then swallowed.

“Everything alright?" he asked, barely managing to keep his breath down. Joshua held onto her waist, keeping her close.

“Yes." She nodded. “Very much so."

“I kinda got caught up in the whole thing. I forgot to ask if… you know, our bodies would be OK doing any of this."

“You certainly showed some bravery using my pheromones in that way." One hand landed on his waist, the other gently caressed his flaccid member.

Joshua glanced away. “Not my proudest moment."

“Quite sexy, I must admit." She looked down at his crotch. “I suppose we should wash off now." Tyra leaned in a little closer. “Even if I do enjoy your seed inside me."

Joshua nodded. Tyra pulled him into the warm stream of water, watching it flow down his soft body. She brushed a hand through his hair, slicking it back.

“You know, I've always thought your eyes were really pretty," he said.

“Thank you." Her hand came down to the side of his head. “I think I envy the expressiveness of yours, however. They make you cute."

“Well, cute isn't exactly the kind of compliment I was aiming for, but coming from you, I'll take it." He planted a kiss on her mandibles.

The two went over each other, wiping clean their combined mess of sexual fluids from each other. They also took the time to simply appreciate one another's form. Tyra found much joy feeling the springiness of his body, and the points of plushness. No doubt, Joshua was muscular, but as with all humans, he had his vulnerable points. As before, Joshua played along her joints and neck, face lighting up with joy every time Tyra tittered at his touch.

“So, uh, can I ask you a question?" Joshua asked.

“After sex? What more could you possibly want to know?" she replied.

Joshua chuckled. “I was just wondering what you were doing in there, with my uh, tip."

“Oh, yes. Vesperratus mating is more static than human sex." The way her species did it seemed so boring now. “A female latches onto her male, then that orifice reaches out to the head of the genitalia, latching on. A slight sucking force helps along orgasm."

“It's like a milker, then?" He ran his hand over her chest.

“In a crude way, I suppose." Tyra tilted her head. “Do you like that I was milking you?"

“A pleasant surprise, for sure."

“As was your warm semen."

Indeed, it was so amusing how easy humans conveyed emotion. It wasn't a twitch of the face, but rather its coloration that showed off his embarrassment. To them, it was likely a simple reddening. To Tyra, it was a whole shift of shades, signifying just how much her words had gotten to him. Perhaps just a few more.

“I believe this is one of those many firsts for humanity you can cross off, Joshua." She pressed her mandibles up against his cheek. “Conquering a Vesper through physical love."

“A first for you, too, isn't it? I'd say you won this battle, anyways."

“I would settle for a draw," she replied.

“Agreed."