Ezza walked in the house after work to find Zas sprawled on the couch and snoring. He sighed, Zas always looked so innocent when he was asleep; too bad he wasn’t like that when he was awake. It would make life so much easier. Thirsty Ezza walked over to the kitchen to get a glass of water. As he passed by his bar he smiled to himself and was almost tempted to reach out and run his fingers along the smooth bar top, but he resisted. He couldn’t chastise Zas for making out with his stove and then turn and do the same thing with his bar. As he turned down the hall, he heard a soft ‘damn!’ coming from the couch.

“I’m not like you.” Ezza called back towards the living room. He heard Zas coming down the hall way.

“You came very close.” Zas said grinning. He opened the fridge and pulled out the food he had made earlier after work and started prepping two plates.

“You’re the only one in this house who has a need to grope inanimate objects. You need to find a woman.” Ezza said cockily. Zas let out a laugh.

“Well look at you! A few dates and a couple of nights with a woman and somebody thinks he’s an expert.” Zas said serving the food. Ezza let out a small laugh into his cup. The men chatted and ate their late night dinner, then went to bed.

The next morning broke clear and beautiful. Ezza was out in his garden as usual and Zas sat behind their computer tinkering with it. Ever since he had gotten sick and had that dream about going home, he was convinced he could do it. So day after day when not at work he sat at the computer and tinkered with it to send out messages, and he researched Earth space programs and alien conspiracy theories. Truth be told Ezza was a little worried about him, but he had his own issues to deal with. Like the aftermath of Zas’s illness.

*******************

Dina had caught them talking about going home that night, and there had been questions afterwards. Ezza felt awkward and unsure about lying, he’d never been any good at it; Zas was the smooth talker. So he hadn’t lied, he’d omitted.

“Um, well, it’s kind of private?” Ezza ended posing it like a question. Mates, he did not want to do this.

“Private? Is this about what’s her name? Was her name Tivodi?” Dina took a step into Zas’s room, the hurt look on her face was horrible enough.

“I thought you were letting me in,” Dina came to a stop,” but I guess I was just a poor replacement for what you really wanted.” Dina gripped her arms as she hugged herself.

“Dina no! Don’t talk like that.” Ezza walked over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. He tried getting her to look at him, but she wouldn’t. “It’s time I told you about her. If you’re willing to listen.”

Dina finally looked at him and nodded slowly. She wanted to understand him so badly, and for him to be free of whatever was holding him back. When they had reached the couch in the living room and sat, Ezza clasped his hands in front of him, his arms resting on his knees. He couldn’t look at her and do this, so he faced away from her. Luckily she thought he was hurting and decided to give him some space. She sat facing him, watching him, but kept her distance.

“Where to even begin?” Ezza said aloud. He had no idea.

“Start with whatever her name was. Who is she? Is she the one who hurt you?” Dina asked. Her voice grew softer as she went on.

“Okay,  her name was-is Ti’Voxi. She was my lover, my first and only one. Until you.” He added. He could see Dina sit up a little straighter. He couldn’t decipher the look on her face, but he hoped it wasn’t an I’m leaving you look.

“Until I had met Ti, I hadn’t really had an interest in woman. Zas was always going on about what I was missing, but I just wasn’t interested. I always felt like a third wheel. We would go out, didn’t matter where and all the woman would flock to Zas. No one was interested in me at all, and why would they be? I was just the geeky best friend to the hot guy. Then one day at work she walked in. Zas and I had been getting into trouble with our Boss, well mostly Zas. In Ti walks. She was gorgeous, like out of this universe gorgeous. Naturally, Zas went after her, but for once in my life, she saw me and not him. For awhile, it put a strain on our friendship. I knew he wanted her, but I had her and I wasn’t going to let go.”

Dina cleared her throat pausing Ezza as he talked. He got up and left her on the couch to get her a drink from the fridge. After he gave it to her and she’d had a sip she looked at him and told him to go on. He asked if she were sure and she nodded her head.

“At first it was wonderful, we’d go out and here’s this beautiful woman with this robust, domineering personality with me. I was the envy of every male around. Technically we made a great pair. We were both career oriented, no-nonsense, hard-working people. But that’s where it ended. I would show up at her house spontaneously to take her out and she would get upset and decline because she was tired. I tried bringing her flowers on her birthday, and she would throw them out because they took up to much space and they would make a mess as they died.” Ezza felt Dina’s hand on his arm. He patted her hand back and then continued.

      

“There was never any love, I don’t think. For her it was expedient to have someone on her arm, and I came from a good family background, so I was it. For me, I think it was the fact that I was afraid if I lost her that I wouldn’t find anyone else. I think that’s why I tried so hard. On the outside we looked like the perfect happy couple. On the inside, it was a mess. I can’t remember ever feeling any warmth from her at all. I do remember the few times she would let me touch her. It was cold and it ended quickly, then she was adamant that I leave. It wasn’t like it was with you. I didn’t know woman could be like that.” He looked over at Dina and she shook her head and motioned for him to continue. Ezza braced himself and continued on even though he could see the tears slowly sliding down Dina’s face. Mates, he was pathetic.

                  

“I waited until she had told me to, and then I proposed. To everyone it looked as if we were so in love, and our future was bright. I felt like I was caged. I couldn’t even tell Zas. He was a bit jealous I think of the relationship he thought I had with Ti. I let him believe that, I felt too ashamed I couldn’t even tell my best friend that I was miserable and wanted out. Turns out I didn’t have to. Like I said Ti decided we should get married, she decided when I should ask her, and she decided how too. I felt like a robot in my own life. Always taking orders and following them, or dealing with the consequences. Anyways, just before we left Ti held a dinner party for our families and close friends, mostly hers. She wrote me out a speech and I rehearsed it like I was told to. I made the proposal as she wanted, and she was pleased. It’s funny to think that you can find happiness when you’re completely miserable, but you can delude yourself into it.” Ezza stopped there and went to check on Zas who was mumbling in his sleep. When he came back he found Dina curled up on herself and wedged into a corner of the couch.

“Dina, maybe we should stop.” Ezza said scratching his head. He really didn’t want to, it felt good to get this all off of his chest. He didn’t want to hurt Dina anymore though, and he was.

“Continue please.” She said, her tone nasally from her tears. Ezza sighed and sat down.

“Okay. Well, lets see the party. As you know I can make a mean drink. I’m really good at it. You also know I can’t hold my drinks.” He smiled a little sheepishly at her. “Anyways I started drinking at the party and then I was asked to make a speech about her. Being juiced was no excuse. I started off alright and some how ended talking about what a cold fish she was. I vaguely remember her grandmother sticking up for her, and I insulted her by making fun of her lineage. My family was disappointed and hers was furious. I don’t blame them I made a complete fool out of myself, and out of her. I apologized when I remembered what had happened. I don’t know why and I probably never will, but for some reason she accepted the apology and before I could work things out, Zas and I came here.” He finished speaking, but couldn’t look at her. She must think he was an idiot. He braced himself for when Dina decided she didn’t want him and got up and left.

                       

 

          

“You did nothing wrong. I hate her for making you feel like it was your fault all this time.” Dina linked her arm through his and cuddled closer. Her tear streaked face blurred in his vision and he finally felt wanted and needed by someone instead of how he thought of himself, which was a loser and unwanted.

After a few moments the two of them pulled apart, wiping their faces and grinning like idiots.

“Now comes the big question. What is Zas protecting you from?” Dina asked. She looked at him so lovingly that Ezza almost told the truth, that they were from another planet and stranded, but he caught himself at the last-minute.

“My family, myself probably, but mostly life.” Ezza said with a shrug. Dina looked at him skeptically. Ezza sighed and began telling her of his home life. How his parents had married because society thought they would make a good match. How his mother was a leading scientist in biology and his father had been a leading scientist in chemistry. They had made a formidable pair and the two of them were often regarded as high society and well matched. Then his mother had gotten pregnant and had him. How every time he had cried she had yelled at him and shaken him until he stopped. Every time an experiment of hers had failed, it had been his fault. His father had been little better. Cold and uncaring , if he looked at Ezza (which was rarely) he seemed to see some kind of experiment instead of his son.

     

Ezza had grown up alone, avoiding his mother if he could but still trying to please her by becoming an ace student and going into the sciences. When things started heating up with his mother he had gone instead to his father trying to please him with his achievements, but to no avail. On the outside they looked like the perfect family. How little people had known. Truth be told Ezza wasn’t sure how he’d come into being unless his parents had decided to try an experiment and he was the result. As for Ezza and his smarts, he had only been trying to please his parents and make them look at him. He never cared about the sciences at all, but if he did well maybe his parents would give him a real smile and acknowledge him, instead of the fake smiles they used in front of others.

        

He had been bullied by other students because of his achievements and the fact that the teachers seemed to like him. The only one who had seemed to care was Zas, and he hadn’t met him until high school. Honestly, Ezza didn’t think he would have lived as long without Zas. How they became friends most people couldn’t understand. After all Zas was loud mouthed, often sarcastic, and generally thought of as good-looking. Ezza was morbid, academic and cold, a bit on the nerdy side.

       

Zas had always protected him from the beginning. Ezza never understood why, but he had been grateful for it. They had gotten close as friends and some of the greatest memories Ezza had were going over to Zas’s house and spending time with his family. Zas’s mother had been a free spirit, and did what she liked whenever she liked. In a society like theirs it had been almost taboo, but Ezza had found it refreshing. Zas’s little sister Mai’illi had been a hoot. They hadn’t been as well off as Ezza’s family, nor as well thought of; but Ezza had thought they were richer and longed for a life like theirs. One where he belonged, with people who cared about each other.

                                                                                                                              

They had paired at a young age, which was almost unheard of, but they didn’t care. It had just seemed right. Now matter how good he became at his work, or how many projects he advanced Ezza never could please his parents and his mother’s abuse got worse. It didn’t matter though, because the worse it got, the more time he and Zas had gotten together and worked through it.

Dina looked at him and then leaned in and gave his cheek a light kiss.

“So he’s protecting you from your mother. I am so sorry Ezza. No one deserves to live like that. You are a strong beautiful man and you deserved so much better. Now you’re going to get it.” Each word was punctuated by a kiss as she slowly crawled up onto his lap. The kisses slowly became more passionate as they lost themselves in each other on the couch. I should tell my story more, Ezza thought; then he stopped thinking of anything but Dina.

***************************

Ezza cleaned his gardening tools and put them away. He was grinning from ear to ear remembering that night. Of course he had omitted to Dina and he felt bad about it, but he also got a perverse pleasure in the fact that he was better at it than he thought he would be.

He went inside to find Zas staring at the computer screen with singular focus. He poked a couple of buttons on the keyboard and then sat back with a smile. Ezza headed over and looked over his shoulder.

“Whatcha doing?” Ezza asked him. Zas smiled and looked up.

“I did it. That dream when I was sick really opened my mind and shed light on a few things. It’s really weak but I got a message out. To be honest I doubt anyone not circling the Earth directly will receive it. There’s a metal and a crystal I need to find to boost my signal more, but for now I at least got it out. It’s a start.” Zas said with pride. Ezza excitedly gripped Zas’s shoulders. Maybe they would be going home sooner than they thought.

“What do you need?” Ezza asked him.

“Well that’s the problem, I’m not entirely sure. I’d have to experiment.” Zas started to say, then someone knocked on the door. Both men looked up to see who it was. Dina stood outside the door smiling and waving.

Ezza bounded to the door and flung it open. He grabbed Dina and bent her over and kissed her. Her eyes widened and she made a surprised noise muffled by Ezza’s lips. Then she grinned and kissed him back. Ever since he had opened up to her, they had gotten closer and Ezza was loving it; he didn’t think Dina minded either.

           

Some of us are trying to keep our lunch down.

Shut up.

Ezza let go of Dina and invited her in. They spent a pleasant evening together talking away. Ezza mixed drinks for everyone and a few hours later Dina got up and went to go home. Ezza asked her to stay and told her he’d meet her in his room. She stumbled into the hall and entered the bedroom. Zas went next while Ezza cleaned up the bar.

Ezza entered his room and crawled into the bed. He left the lights off so he wouldn’t disturb Dina. He wiggled over and spooned himself around Dina’s hard muscled…broad…back. Ezza was a little confused. Reaching his hand around to the front of Dina’s body, he slowly began feeling her and her completely flat chest.

“By the Mates my friend, do you treat your woman like this all the time? A man could get used to being caressed like this in his sleep.” Zas said turning his head to look back at Ezza. Eyes wide, Ezza scooted back and sat up.

“Why are you in my bed?” Ezza asked him. Zas rolled onto his side facing Ezza, and rested his head on his arm before answering.

“Well I have a very pretty, very drunk woman sprawled in the middle of my bed, happily snoring and giggling out your name. I didn’t figure you’d like me hopping in there and sleeping beside your woman.”

“Hell no.” Ezza respond immediately. Zas grinned.

“So I’m here,” Zas said. “Now unless you’re lonely Sugar, I’d suggest keeping your hands to yourself.”

Ezza put his hands up in the air and flopped back down in the bed. He rolled on his side facing away from Zas, who was chuckling on the other side of the bed. Ezza had just closed his eyes and was beginning to fall asleep when he felt Zas cuddle with him from behind and throw his arm over Ezza’s side.

“What’re you doing?” Ezza asked Zas in annoyed voice.

“Turns out I’m lonely. Hey, I think you got a bit chubbier” Zas said giving Ezza’s side a bit of a pinch.

Ezza smacked Zas’s hand away.

“That just means there’s more of me to love.” Ezza said giving Zas a shove back. Zas laughed and rolled away from Ezza.

“Yeah it also means there’s less bed to lay on.” Both men laughed for a few moments, and slowly jabbering insults at each other began to fall asleep.