.Chapter one.

He looked so… different; I wasn't used to seeing him sitting behind a desk, with glasses on as well mind you! It had only been four Earth days, but, turns out, it had been thirty-six Triceraton weeks since I had last seen Cloak. Now, as I said, he sat behind a desk, in a room, in his parents' house, reading… something; I couldn't see.

"Well, go on, Dear," Mrs. T coaxed me with a gentle nudge to walk in.

I just smiled back at her and nodded. I gently knocked on the door.

"Enter," Cloak said, his voice still how I remembered it, but… there was something missing.

I opened the door fully and walked in.

"Yes?" Cloak asked, not even lifting his head from the text he was reading.

"Is that all I'm going to get out of you?" I asked.

I saw him stop mid-sentence in his book; he looked as if he had just gotten a mild fright. Eventually, he lifted his head to look at me.

"Cal?" he asked.

"Hey," I replied with a gentle smile.

He just stared at me as if I were a ghost or something. I thought a little humour may be in order.

"Come on! I hitch a ride on an intergalactic merchant's ship to the Triceraton home world, get told you're no longer there, almost have a heart attack 'cause I think something's happened to you, get told you're fine just off the home-world, get put onto another cargo ship heading this way, meet up with your crazy cousin; who so kindly drove me here by the way, and all I get is a stare?" I asked, an ear-to-ear grin on my face.

"It really is you!" Cloak said, quickly getting out of his chair and coming to the front of his desk.

"Yup," I replied simplistically.

"You… you look exactly the way you did the day you left."

"I changed clothes, thank you very much!" I folded my arms across my chest.

Cloak smiled amusedly at me.

"You've changed a lot though," I said, seriously.

He sighed and removed his glasses from his nose.

"Yeah, I guess I have," he said, tapping his glasses against the palm of his hand.

"Are you two done with the 'moment' yet?" asked Zanner, he was waiting outside with Mr and Mrs T.

"No moment, Zanner; he killed it by just staring," I replied over my shoulder.

"What?" With that Zanner and Cloak's parents walked in.

"Cloak!" Zanner started.

"Don't start on me, Zanner," Cloak said, pointing his glasses at his cousin.

Zanner really looked like he wanted to start a rant, but he semi-successfully restrained himself.

"At least give her a hug," he said, gesturing to me.

Cloak looked at me and I looked at him; tilting my head a bit as a signal for him to go ahead. He smiled, walked up to me and gave me a hug; one that, I thought, was way overdue. I hugged him back and his grip tightened.

"That's better!" Zanner said, folding his arms across his chest.

I giggled; Zanner was just too funny sometimes. Cloak chuckled too, as he released me and I released him.

"You don't know how I've been longing for your touch again, my love," Cloak said, cupping my cheek in his hand.

I just smiled at him and put my hand on his. He was right though; I didn't know how he had been feeling seeing as it had only been four days back home. Cloak looked at his parents and Zanner and cleared his throat. Mr. and Mrs. T, along with Zanner, nodded understandingly.

"We'll see you two later," Mrs. T said, as she turned and began to lead the others out.

Once they were out, Cloak and I returned our attention to each other.

"So…am I still the only guy in your life or…, while you were back on Earth, did you find someone else?" Cloak asked with a knowing smile, as he picked my ponytail up in his hand and let it run over his fingers as he released it.

"I was home for four days, Cloak; you do the math," I replied with a smile.

His smile just widened.

"And you? I know it's been a bit longer here than on Earth," I said.

"I've had some… shall we say 'offers', but… none really caught my attention," he replied.

"Tempting?"

He stuck his lower lip out as he thought about his answer.

"Uh… not really, Sweetheart. I don't know what it is, but…, heh, humans are just more appealing to me," he replied with a sheepish smile.

I just smiled and shook my head. I had barely looked back up at him when I was whisked off my feet and back into his arms.

"Cloak!" I said, startled by the sudden action.

"Sorry," he chuckled and released me again.

"What was that for?"

"Sweetheart, it's been how long since I last saw you? I would like a bit more contact with you than just eye contact."

I just smiled amusedly and then turned to head for the door.

"Something wrong?" he asked, a bit puzzled.

"Walk with me. Talk with me," I replied over my shoulder, as I opened the door and walked out.

Cloak smiled knowingly and followed my lead.

Soon we were out in one of the back fields of Cloak's parents' farm; walking hand-in-hand.

"This enough contact for you?" I asked, squeezing his hand slightly.

"I suppose so," Cloak replied, squeezing my hand.

"Good."

Cloak chuckled at my response; I just smiled at him. He caught me smiling at him and suddenly adopted a sly look.

"What?" I asked suspiciously.

"Uh… never mind," he replied, returning his gaze to the horizon.

I raised and eyebrow at him, but left it at that.

Not two seconds later though… Cloak kissed my cheek. I couldn't help but smile.

"Been a while?" I asked.

"You know it has," he replied, nuzzling my cheek.

"Oh, Cloak!" someone sang from the other side of the field.

Cloak looked up and his mood immediately dampened.

"Oh no," he said, stopping.

"Something wrong?" I asked.

"Uh… one of my more… persistent admirers I'm afraid, my love."

I had to think for a moment, but then I remembered, "Oh ho, don't tell me…"

"I'm afraid so."

Just then, over a small rise in the ground came Melody; the Triceraton lass I had met last time I was on the farm. The moment she caught sight of the pair of us, I could see she became more rigid.

"Well, well," she said, as she got closer to us, "Lookie who's come back. I thought you disappeared to some backwater planet."

"Earth? Oh, yes. Been there, missed my boy and… well… had to come back," I replied, trying to be as nice as I could.

"Took you long enough to start missing him. Thirty-six weeks, if I'm not mistaken."

"Big time difference; three weeks here is only eight hours back on Earth."

"So that's… uh…" She looked away from us for a moment as she tried to figure out the days.

"Four," I said.

"Only four days?"

I just nodded.

"Huh. Should've only been two; if you really…," she started, but then she got distracted by something behind her, "Doh! Just when I'm about to…. Look, I gotta get back home, mother's calling."

Cloak and I nodded understandably; both trying not to look too grateful.

"I'll… see you 'round won't I, Cloak?" she asked, almost hopefully.

"Not too sure, Melody; Cal and I have a lot of catching up to do," Cloak replied, putting his arm around my shoulders and pulling me closer to him.

She glared at him and then at me and then turned to head home; mumbling something to herself as she left.

"Yeah, she's one thing I didn't miss about this place," I said.

Cloak just chuckled and squeezed my shoulders slightly.

"Should we head back?" I asked.

"Now why would we want to do that? Interruption city back at the house; we need some time alone, sweetheart," he replied.

"Alright, where do you suggest then?"

All he did was give me a knowing smile before he began to lead us back in the general direction of the house.