25 march 2005

Harry was deeply asleep when I woke that next morning. Curled on his side with his back to me. His left hand was fisted near his mouth, but I could see he was not sucking his thumb. The sun cast beams of light upon him, making him glow in that almost eureatheral way of his, as his hair cascaded over his face, shoulder and pillows. His face was relaxed, eyelashes casting shadows upon his porcelain cheeks, and lips parted slightly. I leaned over him as I observed him, feeling a profound affection filling me and making me grin. I gently brushed some hair from his face and pressed my lips against his brow, chuckling as he sighed softly.

Last night I had not been sure how I would have handled today. But now, seeing him so relaxed, so beautiful, I was happy. I really can't express how happy. I was almost floating around the room.

I ran my hand down Harry's body, caressing from his shoulder down his ribs, down the slight dip of his waist and up again to his hips. Then I slid closer, spooning against him and resting my hand low on his silky belly. He hummed softly, and shifted back against me, tilting his hips in an invitation. I was so hard rubbing against that warm body of his. He didn't open his eyes, but he smiled so I knew he was awake. He reached down and entwined fingers with my hand on his belly, drawing it up to his mouth to kiss and nip at my fingers and knuckles. Then we were sliding, adjusting our positions with little rocking movements, aligning our selves so that I could enter him.

As I slid into his body I noticed he was still slick from last night's activities and still so very welcoming. This time however, we moved slowly, gently, gradually rocking each other to bliss.

From 0800 hours to 1700 hours we (humans) explored the valley again. The digging and taking of samples didn't get as far as the day before, as the number of “The Plants” (name pending) began to increase. Iris and Rodgers gave me a hard time because I kept smiling to myself. Can I help it if I have such a pleasant bedmate waiting for me? I didn't mind Rodgers' teasing, you get used to it in a tight-spaced community as ours. (Either that or you kill the other person, but so far everyone had been more good-natured towards each other, knowing that the teasing was “all in good fun”.) However, with Iris I detected a little more than just-for-fun.

“I take it you've started sleeping with him.” She stated when Rodgers was off digging. I didn't answer, only raised my eyes brows. Iris sighed and crouched beside me to dig along side me. “I hope you know what you're doing.”

“Well, it's to be expected. We are married according to his customs, you know.”

She gave me a piercing look. “But what about our customs? Have you thought about what will happen to him once you leave this planet? Or will you be staying behind? I don't think we can take him back to earth with us. At least not yet.”

“Why not?”

She rolled her eyes with frustration. “Apart from all the diseases, pollution, and God only knows what else on world that could kill him just from him being there, there's the political and social side of things to be thinking of. So you are married here, but on Earth will your marriage be legal? He's not human, and the conventional laws and social systems we take for granted may not be applied to him. Just think about what would happen if you were killed on earth and he was left there all by himself. Who would take care of him? Who would protect him from all the people that would take advantage of him, not to mention all the scientists that would love to disect him?”

“Like you?”

She smiled slightly. “I see him as an amazing, sentient being that shares 99.9 percent the same genes as we do. Truly fascinating. Unfortunately many of my colegues are renown for their... detachment in regards to test subjects. I may want to study and learn from the Iniri, but I don't plan to torture and destroy them to do it.”

We spoke for some time longer, Iris telling me things that I should have already thought of, and wished I could just ignore. Frankly I was glad when she was called away by one of the grunts so I could continue to pretend everything would be fine. Even so, I knew what she said was true.

Rodgers, Elfondso and I took the Mini Bus (our pet name for the ten man shuttle craft) to scout further along the valley, gliding over the tops of the plants as they really began to thicken. We followed the valley, taking over an hour to get past the great peek that Harry's village was on, the base of which was where the scanners told us the plants were the thickest. I wondered if this was because there had been so many infected by the plant and jumped as their law states they have to? Looking up and up and up, shielding my eyes as it was close to high noon, I tried to calculate in my head the trajectories needed for such a feet. There was an awful lot of bodies if that were so. And the positions of all the plants did not sit well with this theory. Even with the blasting winds that you would expect at that hight, the distances of the further ones were just too far. Then we were past the mountain, continuing through the valley just to see what was there.

We did not notice at first, but after a few kilometers, the number of the plants began to decrease again, until they were sighted occasionally as pink splotches in the high green grass. Then they were gone. We scanned the area and found no more. Just for kicks we landed by one of these outer ones, approaching it with caution in case it's tubular sleeping self began to open. But it didn't. The soil was very red as we dug, that was until we hit the black ground.

The three of us all looked back in the direction we had come, realising that what ever had happened here had killed hundreds of thousands of Iniri.

“Lets go back.” Elfondso said quietly. And we did. We didn't talk on the way back. Rodgers flew like he had tunnel vision. But some peculiar part of my mind noticed that all the plants were the same size, their leaves the same, petals the same height and colour, the thick green tendrils that tangled around each other all over the ground like giant roots were all the same thickness and length. This morbid mind of mine wondered if all this could have happened at the same time. I would have to talk to Iris about it. And Harry too.

“What can you tell me about the valley?” I asked Harry that afternoon (after I had scrubbed myself clean in the communal showers, and of course, ordered every one else to do the same.)

“We're not to go down there.” Harry shrugged as he looked out the window of our quarters. I came up behind him and wrapped my arms around him. Harry melted back against me with a sigh. I kissed the top of his head, breathing in his scent.

“Why? Do you have any legends or stories about it?”

“No,” Harry replied tilting his head so that I would nuzzle his ear. Then he turned to face me. “But I am dempore and very young.” He said it like that was a bad thing. “Why don't you ask Ford. He is older than I, and has traveled the whole world.”

Interesting. I had not pictured Ford being the traveling type.

“Maybe later,” I said huskily, enjoying the way his head was tilted back and he was panting slightly, pupils dilated. I pulled him flush against myself and hungrily crushed my mouth to his.

After some “quality time” with Harry, I left him sleeping with the sheets tangled eroticly low on his hips, and set off to find Ford.

But the bugger wasn't on board any more, was he?

Harry was sitting up in the bed when I returned, blinking at me like he had just woken up... which might have been true. He looked like he wanted to ask me something, but then he didn't. He looked out the window instead.

I closed the door, unbuckled my belt and kicked off my boots. Then I was crawling up the bed to his side.

“Hey,” I said quietly rubbing his cheek with mine. Harry turned his head back to me and I kissed him. “What's up?” Harry looked uncomfortable, eyes lowered to the sheet as he nervously ran his fingers through the tail end of his hair. He even bit his lip. I reached out and lifted his chin to get him to look at me. “Tell me.” I said gently.

“I was wondering...” then quickly said, all in one breath : ”and you don't have to say yes or anything, because it is your choice and if you say no then I'll do what you say... but I was wondering if we... could go... visit my parents?” He looked so hopeful and yet so easily crushed at the same time, big eyes turned up at me in that classic puppy-dog expression. I had no intention to say no, and didn't question him about why he would think I would say no. Instead I grinned, ruffled his hair, and told him to get dressed so we could go visiting.

Dressed in blue- myself in jeans, button up shirt and company bomber jacket, Harry in his native style with fabric that shimmered a purpleish in the shade of the forest- we ascended the mountain side again. Harry was excited, picking flowers and twisting them into the braid at the back of his head, dancing around the path in front of me, singing something teasingly in his own language. I snatched a hold of him as he gave me a “come hither” smile and pressed our bodies together in all the right places.

“You seem very happy right now.” I breathed huskily. He grinned at me, giving me a quick kiss on the lips before pulling away to dance around some more. “I take it you miss your parents?”

Harry did a cartwheel. “Mmm-hmm! They will be so excited to meet you! They always thought I would either mate with Theoryn or no one at all. Oh! You will have to meet Theoryn as well! He'll probably try to challenge you for me, but don't worry, he always does things like that in jest.”

Blink blink. “And why would he challenge me for you? Who is he when he's at home?”

Harry rolled his eyes at me, grinning. “He's my best friend. We've known each other since we were pods. We used to do everything together. He's the one who pulled me out of the pool when the Jackre caught me and took my arm.”

“W-what?”

Harry was walking beside me now, and pulled the collar of his top down enough to reveal his lovely left shoulder. For a few moments we stood still while he concentrated and ran his fingers over the white roundness of his arm. “Somewhere... Hmmm...” Harry shrugged and pulled his clothes back the way they were before. “It doesn't matter now. I was lucky that it only took my arm. Our heads don't grow back. Do Human head grow back?” He was looking up at me with his big, wide, eyes, curiosity that I was so used to making him once more a child in my mind.

“Nooo... But I take it your limbs do?”

Harry nodded brightly, then his smile faded. “I hope Theoryn doesn't challenge you. Ever since I lost my arm that time he has been really protective of me. I hope he understands that I am happy with you.”

“Are you?” I was very serious. If Harry was not happy after even these few days together, I was prepared to let him go... Especially after Iris' chat. Only if that was what he wanted though. Harry gave me a sly look and wrapped his arms around my neck.

“Verrry.” He purred.

Heh. Not so childish after all...

On the way up Harry told me about the sink hole on the other side of the mountain that he and Theoryn had gone to play at when they were around ten years old, containing a monster of some kind. From Harry's description of the teeth and shape it made me think of a combination of a crocodile and a great white shark. Razor sharp, pointed teeth and lots of them. Wide as a man, and long as ten of them. Harry had been climbing a tree at the edge of the sink hole when the thing pounced out of the shrubbery, jaws snapping shut with his arm inside, and started dragging him towards the sink hole when Theoryn dropped from another tree onto it's back, and began to beat it around the head with a branch. Just as it's tail reached the edge of the sink hole Harry's arm tore off. Theoryn had collected the herbs to stop the bleeding and carried him all the way back to the village. It had taken a year for his arm to grow back. Harry said that like: “A Whole year! Such a long time! How embarrassing!” I was like: “Wow! Only a year! That's amazing!”

Again he was brooding. “I always need rescuing.” He muttered.

I wrapped my arms around his shoulders. “As long as I am alive, I will be glad to rescue you.”

The smile slowly returned to his face after that.

“So, do many of your people get taken my that Jack-monster?”

“No, since then we don't go there except for when the water gets very, very low and we have no choice but to get water from there.”

“Surely that would be even more dangerous. Back on Earth we have these fish that are fine to swim with when there is plenty of water, but when the water runs low, they turn ravenous and carnivorous. They can rip the flesh from a person in minutes!”

“Wow...” Harry breathed with awe or alarm. “Earth sounds scary.”

I shrugged. “It can be. It just depends on where you go and how prepared you are. One day I'll take you home to my own country. You can meet my parents and see all the sights. Some of the most poisonous creatures on Earth live on my country, but they mainly eat each other, and don't bother you if you don't bother them.” I paused, alarmed with what I had just offered him. “That is, if you would like to.”

Harry pulled my head down to knock foreheads with me. “I think I would like that. Very much.”

The birds, etc.. over head were just starting their screeching when we made it to the village. The fires of the mud brick houses were stoked nice and high, plenty of firewood near by each house. There were curtains of some kind hanging in some of the doorways, and the yellow wearers were looking at me with suspicion as Harry lead me past them towards the huge trees the upper village was in. As before the other colour wearers up there stopped all they were doing to watch as Harry and I climbed up what was like a stairway out of branches. Spiraling round and round the great tree until we came to the level of the village. There were hundreds of Iniri, frozen to their spots, watching me as Harry lead me past them. We crossed a rope bridge from one huge tree to another quite a number of times, climbing up more spiral branch stairways, and even walking through huge holes through the trees that were like tunnels until we came to a walkway made of branches tied together like a raft that surrounded the hugest tree I had ever seen. It's trunk was the size of a city block and it's branches reached out in all directions. The raft walkway circled around it as far as the eye could see. Iniri were still watching us wide eyed, then I heard a thundering sound that I identified as feet running towards us. Ahead a voice called out and Harry cried out for joy and rushed forward to embrace the Iniri that had come running. Harry pulled this new person back towards me, while they chattered excitedly together in their language. Beside me an Iniri was staring up at me with awe plainly written on his face. I smiled down at the little thing (child? Only came up to my waist), and he blinked before hurrying away. The frozen Iniri also continued on with their own business as Harry arrived back at my side, grinning from ear to ear, dragging the Iniri by the hand. This new Iniri was taller than Harry (as most of them tend to be), dressed in blue, hair braided down the back of his head just like Harry's had been. His eyes were violet with gold specks, and kept turning from Harry to me. There was a smile on his face he looked me over head to toe, then leaned down to say something in Harry's ear. Harry choked, then giggled, looking embarrassed.

“What did he say?” I asked.

“Later.” When Harry had regained control of himself he introduced us. “This is my bearer,” He then said a name that was a mixture of whistles and clicks. I blinked.

“I don't think I can say that.” I said ernestly. He spoke with his bearer, (which I found out was pretty much the same as mother, only the roles can change from child to child. Kind of confusing.) and Bearer said something that sounded like “Prrree”

“Can you say Prrree?” Harry asked, eyes all wide and almost teasing. I practiced a few times just to make sure I could get the rolling “r” sound off of my tongue, and Prrree was very happy, giving me a welcoming hug. Then Prrree was ushering us along the walkway into one of the many hollowed areas that resembled archways. Through the arch was a large open space that Harry explained was naturally occurring in this tree type. There were ten more Iniri in this space, all similar in appearance to Harry and Prrree. The tallest of them all stood before them, baring our passage. He was almost as tall as I was, and had green eyes with orange specks that glittered imposingly with the light of the afternoon sun. Harry introduced him as his Planter (father), again with a name I couldn't possibly pronounce. Harry took pitty on me and told me I could call this guy Claud. Claud was very stern and more muscular than any other Iniri I had seen before. He had a look about him that said Alpha Wolf, and looked almost ready to attack my throat until Harry stepped up to him and gave him a big hug. Claud returned the hug warmly, sniffing Harry's face for a few moments. There came a low rumble from Claud's throat before he released Harry. Then Harry came back and tugged me into the big sphere-like room. There were gray curtains lining the walls and hanging around from a few branches that grew out horizontal to the ground. The floor of the ball was covered with a fine moss that looked very soft to walk on. The nine other Iniri were seated by the back of the ball and looked really comfortable, lounging there together with wooden bowls. Around them from other branches hung dried and drying herbs of various kinds. They were all looking at me with curiosity. Harry pulled me amongst them and started chattering away. All at once they climbed to their feet and started surrounding me, reaching out to touch my hair, face, clothes... I laughed nervously and pushed some hands away when they became a little too intimate in their touching. But I need not have, Harry snarled like a tiger at the one who did that and they backed away like a beaten dog. None of the others dared get too touch-happy after that.

Soon Harry tugged me down to sit on the moss amongst the other nine, who were some of his siblings, and he planted himself virtually in my lap. I wrapped my arms around his middle and he purred leaning back against me. Prrree called out something and three of the nine stood to help him bring food in bowls over to the circle where we were all seated. Claud sat opposite us, watching me with eagle eyes.

“I'm not sure your dad likes me.” I whispered while bowls were placed on the ground in front of us.

“Don't be silly,” Harry patted my hand. “He only wants to make sure I am happy with you.”

“Oh.”

Harry's family passed around a large bowl filled with some kind of red liquid that each member drank out of then passed it along. I asked Harry to explain everything as it was happening. He said that they drink from the same cup in thanksgiving for the food provided. Naturally I took a sip when it was passed to us. I didn't want to offend. It was like drinking very thick and bitter plumb juice. Kind of nice once you got used to it.

The bowls were filled with nuts, berries and flowers of all sorts of shapes and colours. Harry made the selection for me and hand fed me the entire time. I returned the favor, especially enjoying feeding him a bright red berry about the size and appearance of a strawberry. Harry bit into it, spilling red juices all over his lips before licking it away. It sent lust shooting through my stomach, and I could tell by his hooded eyes and smile he picked up on it. With the next bite he took, I swept down and captured his sweet lips with mine. Harry wrapped his arms around my neck and we moved together, me crawling over him to press our bodies in the right places. I don't know if it was Harry or I that knocked a bowl of nuts over, I just heard them scatter across the ground, along with snickers and whistles from our audience. I realised I may have done something tabooed then, and pulled back. Harry was panting, clinging to me. Claud did not look impressed. I looked Harry in the eyes and slowly nudged his forehead with mine. There were loud gasps all around, and I wanted to look at Claud to see if he was unhappy about what I had done, but Harry grabbed me by the hair and returned the nudging hard. By The end of it we were both grinning at each other, and so was Prrree. He said something in a tone that was both teasing and lecherous.

“He said that we can use my room.” Harry translated, looking embarrassed and yet enjoying the whole thing. I looked between Prrree and Claud to make sure. Claud was smiling.

“Maybe later.”

Harry translated, and Claud let out a huge belly laugh, followed by the rest of the family.

“Planter likes you.” Harry purred. I nudged his forehead with mine again, pleased.

Later Prrree sat near me along with the three (I think) who helped serve the food earlier, humming a tune as they ground dried leaves in primitive looking mortar and pestals. I watched, actually fascinated at how he would measure out and crush leaves, flowers, berries, seeds... All together, then brush them into a spare bowl. He spoke, using hand gestures to demonstrate to the 'children', and then to me said something which I think meant that the mixture was for making a drink. I would have to check with Harry, and have him teach me some simple words like “Yes”, “No” and “I don't understand”. Harry was seated with his other siblings, Claude had gone somewhere else. The other siblings all had their eyes turned up to Harry with awe, asking him questions (if I guessed correctly).

I checked the time on my watch. 19:58 hours. The sun was getting lower, the out side sky was red through the trees. Then Harry was beside me, looking irritated but trying to hide it. He tugged my arm. “Come on.” He said quietly, and I stood to follow him behind one of the curtains to the folded set of fabric (sheets?) that sat on the mossy floor. He set about un-folding the top most one, shaking it to spread it out.

“What's the matter?” I whispered, joining him in the opening of the silk like stuff on the side opposite him. He lowered his end to the ground and I followed suit. Harry sat down in a huff, I followed, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. He looked almost murderous. I was intrigued. “All right, who said what?”

He glared at me for a moment me for sighing and leaning in to press his head under my chin. “Enri wanted to know what you were like under your clothes.”

I raised my eye brows. “Yeeeeeah? What did you say?”

“The truth. That you were enormous and that your kind was different to ours inside.”

“Enormous, eh. Heh. So what's the problem?”

“They said that there must be something wrong since you haven't planted a seed in me yet. They said that maybe I still was tainted.”

“Did you tell them to get stuffed?”

“No. I came to get you.” Harry then pushed me down and straddled me. I placed my hands on his hips to sturdy him, easily aroused by the position. He started to undo the buttons on my shirt. I stilled his hands with my own.

“Wait, are you wanting to, you know, go the whole way. Now? As in make a baby.”

“Yes.” He hissed.

“Are you sure?”

His shoulders slumped, and his head dropped. “Not really.” Was quietly said. “But if I don't then there could be trouble.”

I took in a deep breath, not really liking this. “Alright. What do I have to do?”

We were very quickly naked, me still on my back and Harry straddling me. His hair was loose, so I brushed my fingers through it before rubbing his quivering belly. He purred out a moan, and then we kissed deeply. I wanted to relax him and also to forget that I wasn't really happy about this. Baby making was a whole new level of being that I wasn't sure I was prepared for. Pretend everything is fine, I told myself. Deal with it later.

I have discovered that having Harry rubbing his warm, soft skin along mine is an easy cure for erection problems, and the way he wiggled when I ran my fingers down his sides was truly wonderful. We didn't talk at all as Harry grabbed my penis to hold it still while he lowered himself upon me. I gripped his upper arm and kept eye contact with him the entire time. He was so tight and hot, and then a change of angle that made me buck in pain/pleasure because there is no way dicks are supposed to bend like that, and then there was moistness and another vice-like tightness that I had never felt before. Harry's entire body jerked, head thrown back, and he let out a small cry, that was not one of pleasure. I squeezed his arm stilling his movements. He shook like he was freezing, and I had to coax him to look me in the eyes again. He was flinching. As we stilled our progress, he slowly hunched over, whimpering.

“Stop.” I told him. He shook his head no. “What's wrong then?”

“You're... very big...” He rasped, a wince in his eyes. “Hurts... a bit.”

“A bit? That looks like a lot to me. Complement or no, I am not going to hurt you by doing this here and now. I don't know about with your people, but where I come from making babies is not supposed to hurt.”

I think I said that a bit harshly because Harry looked like he was going to cry. “I'm sorry,” His voice hitched and he pulled off of me, making my back arch and toes curl as I was straightened again. He dropped beside me and curled up with his back to me, shaking and sobbing quietly. “I'm sorry, I'm sorry,” He kept saying. I snagged the sheet and spooned around him, wrapping it around us as I did so.

“Hey,” I cooed. “Why are you sorry?”

He turned his head to look up at me, tears were streaming from his eyes. “Because I can't do my duty. I'm sorry. You are my mate and I just can't. I don't know why it wont work, it shouldn't hurt at all. It's supposed to feel wonderful. There must be something wrong with me.”

“OR,” I interjected. “now is simply not the right time.” He blinked at me, looking puzzled. “Let's wait until we can really be alone, and not have to worry about social obligations or what not. What do you say?” I didn't say that we simply might not be physically compatible. I figured that warrented further exploration in private. But for Harry that was enough. We lay there sharing each other's body warmth, the sheet very insulating against any cold that might have come in as the sun vanished. Around me was silence. Harry and his family had also switched off. I sighed, still being very aroused, and thinking that even though he might think it was what I wanted him for, that Harry would not appreciate being shagged up the backside without knowing about it. Thinking of which made me pull away from him and turn on the light on my watch to check myself. There was no blood on me, so I moved to check out between Harry's legs. All looked fine as far as I could tell. I just hoped that he wasn't actually injured in any way. I then rolled away from him and reintroduced Mister Happy to Mrs Palmer and her five daughters.

To be continued.

part 8 part 10

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