3:
I was dreaming that I was wandering through the compound looking for Fandango, and I found him near the card tables enjoying a game with the other humanoids. Cass was missing. I was suspicious that Fandango had something to do with it. When I confronted him, he smiled. He wrapped his arms around me and said as soothing as a snake charmer, "I love you, Enzo."
"I love you, I love you," he kept saying, but I couldn't respond. He was crushing me to death with his hug. The humanoids around us weren't aware that he was hurting me. I couldn't cry out because Fandango was cutting off my air. I was about to die in front of dozens of witnesses.
My eyes shot open and I sat up in bed. My lungs were grabbing for air. Fandango was already gone. The hot desert wind was blowing in through the glass-less square windows on the far side of the wall. There were three long slits in the roof that made up the skylight. When I looked down at the floor, I could see that the sunlight was shining through only two of the three slits. Distracted by my nightmare, it barely registered that it was wrong until I saw a shadow shift and the light appeared in the third slit once more.
I looked up at the ceiling, but whatever had blocked the light was now gone. Was someone up there?
The noise of Fandango raising his voice outside stirred me out of the confusion. I got up and looked through the window, seeing Cormund gesturing and speaking to Fandango with some aggression. When Cormund finished, Fandango started back my way. I moved just in time for him to burst through the front door to tell me the news.
Surprisingly, he was upbeat.
"I'm going to make you breakfast, Enzo, and you're going to get ready, because today is a very important day!"
"What's going on?" I asked, intrigued.
"Sami is in heat!" Fandango opened his hands like he were shooting fireworks straight from his fingers when he said this.
"Oh, God! Oh, that's great! I figured Sami's status as an outcast would mean he couldn't reproduce! This is great news!"
I was excited. Fandango went on while he gathered things for breakfast, saying, "I thought the same thing. He does have a fifty percent chance of passing on his irregular gene to his son, so what I've gathered is that the two other sperm males of the compound have decided against allowing Sami to take from them because of the odds, but Cass is the only sperm male that has agreed to give to Sami, and he's willing to allow us to document the ritual!"
My heart skipped a few beats. I was overjoyed to hear that such a breakthrough was happening. The documentation of such an event would certainly mean kudos for both Fandango and I. Another part of me felt nervous, maybe even overwhelmed to think that I was going to be watching Cass perform the ritual.
I didn't see it at the time that I had any personal feelings for Cass.
"This is great, F-D! What a breakthrough!" I shouted, coming from behind to hold him.
He was busily preparing my eggs at the stove. He did not return my touch. I let my arms drop. I told myself he was just too busy thinking about what we would need to do for the ritual. I started to turn away when he made an odd comment, "Cormund has insisted that there will be no cameras or photography, and the documentation can only be in writing, so I want you to be as specific as possible."
It took me some time to realize he had said, "you," and not, "us."
"Did I hear you right, Fandango? Won't the both of us be there?" I asked.
He was still working on the eggs when he scoffed. I could almost feel the disdain he used to brush-off of everything I said. He didn't even turn to look at me as he responded in a tone like I should have known already, "Enzo, I can't possibly sit and document two males performing an act of sexuality on one another. I'm very busy running all of the other projects at once. Besides, Cormund already told me that Cass has requested you be the only one there."
I didn't know whether I should be happy or outraged. Fandango's words disturbed me. He sounded like he were telling me that documenting two males having reproductive sex together was both unimportant and beneath his status.
"Fandango, I don't get it. I thought you'd want to be there. This is a moment that must be documented completely. Perfectly. It's a breakthrough for the whole world. It's something human beings have never seen before. They've never known before. We could use this to better understand ourselves. As a gay man..."
He turned and glared at me. I stopped talking and he replied sternly, "If you think I'm homophobic in some way because I'm not a part of this, you can bet your ass—the ass that I've ridden so hard you couldn't sit down for days, I might add—that your presumptuous attitude is dead wrong. Dead fucking wrong."
"Fandango, I didn't mean it like that. I just..."
He grabbed my shoulders and directed me to the shower. He told me before I could finish, "Hurry up and get ready. We have to be out there soon. Sami is already in trance and Cass is preparing himself as we speak!"
:-:
I got ready as soon as possible. Fandango tossed my food at me and he paced behind me while he chattered away the whole time, rushing me with his words and his fast movements. He took my plate away before I finished and pushed me out the door, grabbing a clipboard and pen from his testing table before taking me to the other side of the compound where a model hut had been made that was thick enough to provide privacy and a more homely atmosphere than the usual tents. I waved at Miz along the way. Fandango scoffed again. I noticed the humanoids were gathered around the hut, watching us carefully when we came closer. Some of the pairs of eyes were judgmental as they followed me. I had the feeling that not every humanoid was happy about me being there during this very important ritual.
Fandango whispered in my ear while he moved me along, "Remember, this is very important. This kind of documentation can get me a huge promotion when we get back to headquarters! It will revolutionize our knowledge of the Moonstone species! Now, from what we know about their history, it can take up to three times for the seed to take, and since Sami is genetically unique, it may be more than that or less than that, so you need to be very patient and do your best to capture everything. I do mean everything! Get as close as you need to! I want everything!"
It was weird having him coach me. Like I'd never taken notes, before. He didn't say a word to the humanoids around us. He didn't even call inside to let Cass know we were coming. He opened the wooden door to the hut as wide as it would go and hissed in my ear before shoving me inside, "I'm trusting you not to fuck this up, Enzo. I don't think I could forgive you if you get this wrong."
He closed the door behind me before I could argue with him. I stared at the door for a moment until I heard Cormund command from behind me, "Over here, Mr. Amore."
I slowly turned around. I suddenly felt self-conscious. I saw Cass first. He was seated in a chair by the far wall, already naked and drenched in liquid salt-pine, a fine fluid from the Moonstone planet that Fandango named based on its potent smell. I swallowed hard when I saw him. He was watching me calmly as always. He was asking me with his eyes to stay calm, too. It was hard for me after what Fandango just said.
"Mr. Amore, sit," Cormund stated louder this time.
I stopped looking at Cass and came up to Cormund. He was standing by the bed where Sami was already lying down. Sami was also naked, but his body was drenched in sweat. He was mumbling and twitching senselessly and his skin was reddened from heat like he was running a high fever. Cormund took my clipboard and pen out of my hands and examined them. He asked like I had sinned, "What is all this?!"
He seemed more agitated than usual. His species was meant to keep the sperm male humanoids safe for the assurance of reproduction. I was probably the first to interfere with the process. I answered him, "You said no cameras, so I was going to document everything on paper."
Cormund told me roughly, "Hold out your hands!"
I did as I was told and he examined them thoroughly as well. Then he told me, "Turn around!"
"I promise you, I've got no cameras," I assured him, turning around with my hands out to show I meant no harm.
He told me gruffly, "I can't help thinking your devious husband would still plant one on you without your knowledge just to reinforce himself."
I couldn't blame Cormund for being extra cautious. Fandango had a reputation for deception.
"Sit!" he pointed to a chair on the other side of the room.
I did as he told me to. He handed me the clipboard and pen and leaned in, breathing me in before he said, "You stink, Mr. Amore."
"Take a rag with salt-pine on it and put it around his neck, Cormund. He won't bother me," Cass replied.
Cormund stared me down once more. He looked like he was debating whether he should fall back on the deal or not. Then, he went over to the bedside table and pulled out a wet rag. He placed it around my neck before he stated aggressively, "You will not interrupt or interfere with the proceedings. You will sit here and you will not move. You will document what you want, then when it is done, you will bring me the results of your research first. You will not give the documentation to your husband until after I have looked through it and determined it to be acceptable. Do you understand, Mr. Amore? You will not bring it to your husband first, you will bring it to me. Me!"
He stressed the last word so loudly, it boomed through the hut and made me jump a little. I nodded, and Cass told Cormund, "Leave now. Sami is almost ready."
Cormund huffed and gave me one last stare down before leaving the hut. Cass made his way to the bed and sat down next to Sami. He leaned into Sami's ear and whispered something to him. I documented what was said. Most of his words were sacred mantras of his species. Cass spoke of being warriors, a species of a time of greatness, and that it was up to Sami to welcome the next generation of their kind.
Cass began singing softly into Sami's ear. It came out like a low hum of long words in a language I had not heard, before. I documented that it sounded like drums and beating wings.
It was beautiful, and very sad.
When he finished, Cass sat with his back toward me. He looked as though he were trying to hide from me. He turned his head to one side and asked, "Do you have any questions for me before we begin, Mr. Amore?"
"Please, call me Enzo," I told him.
He voiced my name, "Enzo," as if he were testing it and it pleased him to say it.
"Sami looks like he's struggling. Is he suffering?" I asked.
Cass smiled and replied, "Not at all. In fact, he is experiencing an overwhelmingly great deal of pleasure."
I took my notes and Cass went on, "Our mating ritual is the only form of peace we express on our planet."
I was still writing when Cass said, "Enzo, I would like to tell you something, but I do not want you to write it down."
I put my pen down and asked, "What's that?"
He paused for a moment before answering, "I must admit to you that I am anxious to be having you observing me in this situation."
I thought his confession meant that he wasn't sure about me staying. I started to get up, saying, "I could ask Fandango to come in and document, or I could find another way..."
He stood up and turned to face me. He said almost sadly, "Don't leave."
We stared at each other for several seconds, then Cass looked down. He made his observations of my groin known.
"Your body is changing," he told me.
I tried to explain, "It's a natural and unconscious reaction for human males to respond after seeing something sexual. Fandango would tell you it is based on the survival instinct of our species. It doesn't explain why men are attracted to other men, or women are attracted to other women. Makes me think it's not so much about survival but what we individually believe keeps us alive."
"You react to me, but I am not your species," he surmised.
"You look close enough," I responded.
He locked eyes with me. I could almost feel him thinking about me; processing something. Sami broke the tension when he moaned, "Cass...Cass..."
"Sami is ready," Cass informed me. I sat down and prepared to document everything.
:-:
Cass kept his eyes closed during the process. He looked in pain sometimes. Others, in a state of euphoria. Sami was walking the line between the waking and dreaming world. The ritual itself was no more than a few minutes long, yet it was more passionate than anything I'd ever seen or been a part of.
Sami took in Cass' full erection. It didn't look like the large size bothered Sami. When Sami sucked on Cass' cock, it looked more like he was trying to swallow it. Sometimes, it did appear to go clean down his throat. I could see it through his neck. Going this far didn't seem to bother Sami.
Cass cradled the back of Sami's head like he was holding a dying man. It seemed Sami had no control of his body and he was running on instinct. Sami's eyeballs would disappear in his head. Little moans would escape through his lips in an excruciatingly arousing way. I couldn't help being affected by it. Observing it made my blood burn hot.
I remembered what Fandango said about the ritual possibly taking more than one time to work. Cass cried out suddenly and I almost stood up. I thought he was hurt. He put his hand up to stop me. He clawed through the sheets around the bed. He kicked his feet and bit his lower lip. He looked like he was trying to hold back a fury from deep inside. It took a while for him to calm down. I wasn't sure he actually came until he told me, "It did not take."
He stood up. He was agitated. It took two hours until the next attempt. Cass appeared willing to perform within minutes of the first attempt, but the time was more for Sami, who did not call for Cass until both hours were taken up. Cass told me again the second time, "It did not take."
It was another two hours before the third attempt. During that time, Cass paced the room and asked me questions about how I got my scar. I told him my story. He looked frustrated and asked me to tell the story again. It took many times over for him to process the idea that I was stabbed by a drunken male who beat females when I was the cop sent to stop him. Cass asked about the surgery. He was interested in the healing process. Though some parts of the story made me feel ashamed, like how it took me weeks to stand the sight of knives, he looked interested and understanding.
After the third attempt, Cass shuddered violently and stayed where he was for well over a minute before he opened his eyes and told me again, "It did not take."
I was becoming worried. Cass and Sami were showing signs of exhaustion and deprivation. It was another two hours before the next attempt. Cass continued to ask me questions about myself to pass the time. I asked him at one point, "Should you be trying this more than three times?"
"It must be done today. No other will let him take from them and this is the first year Sami has shown symptoms of reproductive capability. If not today, his time may never come. I have no choice."
He tried a fourth time. It did not take.
Two hours later, the fifth attempt. It did not take.
Cass continued to become more agitated. He paced. He growled. Sami's sharp canine teeth were unintentionally causing injury to Cass' erection each time. The whole day had been nearly spent. None of us had taken a break. Sami groaned and whispered, "I'm sorry, Cass."
Wiping Sami's brow clean of sweat, Cass told him, "Don't be. I am prepared for as many times as you should need me."
:-:
The sixth attempt did not take. Cass began drenching himself with liquid salt-pine once more. His body was tense and his limits were becoming more obvious. While the next two hours went by, Cass sat down beside Sami and asked me, "How did you and Fandango meet?"
A story over a decade old. I remembered it as I explained, "We met on a concert. I had won tickets on a radio show. Fandango was already there with some woman, but she ran off with the drummer. He and I ended up on either side of the bar during the after-party. He had the bartender bring me a drink. When I first saw him, I thought he was just trying to give a lonely guy a break, but then he came over and we started talking. He was a charmer, that one. Big time."
Cass listened intently while I continued, "We talked all night. He said he wanted to see me again. I told him to go to the police station and file a missing person's report for me and maybe I'll show up. I was kidding, no doubt, but sure enough, two days later, he showed up at the station where I worked and filed a report to go looking for me, and the rest is obvious enough."
I actually started to smile, thinking about how much Fandango and I had hit it off all those years ago. Cass processed my story, then he said thoughtfully, "Your husband told me a much different version of that story. I think I like your version better."
I was confused. What could Fandango possibly say about the first time we met that would be any different? I couldn't ask because Cass changed the subject. He said, "I want to ask you something. Again, I ask you not to write it down."
Placing my pen down, I asked, "What?"
"I am exhausted. Would you mind if I watch you during this last attempt, to keep myself awake?"
I told him anxiously, "I don't want to be a source of distraction. This should be as close to the natural process as possible..."
"Please," Cass pleaded, his eyes somber.
"Alright, if it helps you," I nodded.
We waited in silence until Sami called for Cass. The seventh process began. My hand was cramping from taking notes all day. I was tired, hungry, and curious to know what Fandango had been doing all day. I wondered if he was suspicious of the long hours I had spent in the hut already. It was late into the night, and the seventh attempt took much more time than the others to complete.
This was the only time Cass kept his eyes open. He watched me as he said he would. I couldn't help feeling uncomfortable, more because I didn't want to interrupt the process than anything. Cass turned his head to one side, curiously observing my anxiety. I didn't want to speak up during the ritual for fear I would ruin things. I just let him stare at me, and I stared back at him.
The process finished, and Sami whispered like he had in the beginning, "Cass...Cass..."
"He has successfully taken," Cass informed me, placing his palm on Sami's abdomen to feel the egg sac inside.
Sami let out a long moan. Cass stroked his hair and sang him to sleep. I told Cass quietly when all seemed calm once more, "Congratulations to you and Sami both."
Cass did not get up. His eyelids were drooping as he said to me, "Find Cormund."
I got up. I could see Cass was struggling. I asked, "What's wrong?"
"Find Cormund now!" Cass stated more desperately, and I ran for the door.
