I'm happily working away altering the modifications my sniper rifle for the next mission. I hear some footsteps behind me and look to my right to see Sarah, my commanding officer, waving smiling at me to which I nod my head and carry on altering my weapons.
"Hey? Mr. Grumpy, are we today?" She asks me, while placing a hand on my shoulder. I immediately turn around due to the contact.
I look at her confused as she closes her eyes, standing on her toes, lifting her chin up and pushing her lips out in an 'O' shape. Is this some sort of strange face exercise? I have to ask.
"Sarah," I sigh deeply, whilst raising an 'eyebrow' at her, as she puts it.
"What are you doing?" I asked her rather quietly, as she stops pulling that silly facial expression and looks at me slightly disappointed.
"A kiss." Is all she says. I look at her very confused eyeing her up and down, trying to work out what this 'kiss' –thing is.
"A wha-?" I go to ask but am immediately cut off by the ship's artificial intelligence S.A.M.
"Good day Sir Ja'al Ama Darav, to help you understand a 'kiss' is a human's way to show affection. This can vary from an adult showing their offspring affection, all the way to showing and/or your 'mate' affection. But beware as kissing can often be and in cases lead to very 'intimate' actions that humans become consumed with their 'mate-"
"S.A.M.!" I hear Sarah shout turning pink faced, then attempting to cover her face with her hands in embarrassment. I half smile, I never thought I'd ever care for an alien now that this 'S.A.M.' has confirmed it for me. I give a deep one off chuckle.
I sigh deeply and very gently brush my face along the side of her left cheek, whilst carefully moving her frame closer to my own. I feel her tense up, gasp, and then suddenly relax into me as I rest my head on top of her furry one. I feel my eyes close in a sense of pure contentment, as she wriggles her arms and moves them around my waist a bit rougher than I was expecting. In our culture you treat females with utter care as they are a lot more fragile than us males, I wonder if humans are the same?
"I love you too, Ja'al" Is all I hear her say giggling as we separate. I cant help but smile a full genuine smile with a soft look which needs no words. But the next thing I know she bumps her lips into mine making a smacking sound as she pulls away, then runs off waving leaving me one hell of a confused Angaran. 'What was that?'
– Ja'al Ava Darav.