"We need to talk."

"Is this payback for using that line when I started to tell you I was an alien?"

"That would be petty of me." Alex paused. "Yeah, a little bit."

"I said right away that I wasn't breaking up with you."

"I'm not breaking up with you either."

"So what do you want to talk about?"

"Anything and everything, really."

"Could you throw out a topic to get us started?"

"I'd just like us to talk more in general."

"We talk, don't we?"

"Sure, but we've been having a lot of sex. I don't want sex to become our only form of communication."

"You want us to talk instead of having sex?"

"In addition to."

"I'm glad you clarified. I was afraid you were getting into some weird celibacy thing."

"Speaking of celibacy, you made a comment when I asked what you were doing in your trailer."

"I'm sure I'd remember something about celibacy."

"It was the opposite. You said weed, casual sex and plans to overthrow the government."

"You know I was exaggerating."

"I'm not concerned about you overthrowing the government."

"I bet you don't care about weed either. Which means sex is the reason for this conversation. Ironic that you want to talk about sex instead of doing it."

"You did say lots of casual sex."

Michael sighed. "Not lots but there was some. It didn't mean anything."

"Did it mean something to the guys? Did they know it didn't mean anything to you?"

"It didn't mean anything to the girls. And it didn't mean anything to me because they were girls."

"You didn't sleep with guys while I was away?"

"I tried once. It felt wrong and it didn't work."

"Performance issue?"

"Yeah."

"Wow." Alex was smiling. "I must be really good."

"Oh christ, this is going to haunt me the rest of my days."

"And nights, Cowboy."

"What about you? Did you sleep with guys while you were away?"

Alex hesitated. "It's different for me."

"A double standard about sex? Please elaborate."

"I'm gay. You're bi."

"You've never been with a girl?"

"Two. It worked both times but it wasn't good and I never want to go through it again."

"Stick with me, Private, and you won't have to."

"What about you? Do you miss sleeping with girls?"

"No. I didn't sleep with anybody the first three years you were gone. When I turned twenty-one I decided to forget you and move on. The first two were girls. Then the guy, which was humiliating. Then a couple more girls. And nothing the last couple of years. I can perform with girls but I'm reacting to you, not them."

"Anybody else I was with, I closed my eyes and thought of you."

"Happy to hear it. Okay, good talk, good result. But let's not talk about sex with other people again."

Alex nodded. "Next time you can pick the subject."

"This talking wasn't a one-time thing, huh?"

"Let's talk more about your dad."

Alex grimaced. "You're right, talking may be overrated."

"I never said that. And you not wanting to talk about him means we probably should. The dude has issues."

"I'm aware."

"What's his deal? Does he still hate gays ? He has to at least pretend neutrality in his work."

"He thinks it's unnatural and morally repugnant.

"Can't be unnatural if it occurs regularly in nature. Is he aware that almost every animal group exhibits homosexual behavior?"

"That's the thing, they're animals. He thinks humans should be better than that. They should be able to control their behavior."

"Can he stop being an asshole? That'd be a step in the right direction if he thinks it's so easy for humans to deny their nature. And his moral repugnance is a subjective opinion which is becoming obsolete."

"I suspect his attitude is more about 'No son of mine'."

"You went to war and lost your leg. You got a purple heart and a commendation for valor. Why can't he be proud of that?"

"He would rather I had died," Alex said quietly. "Then he'd have a hero son and my sexual deviation could be forgotten."

Michael was silent for a moment at the enormity of this statement. "That is truly morally repugnant. And it's an objective opinion, not subjective."

My turn again," Alex said. "Tell me about being an alien."

"You already know how we were found. You've seen the pods in the cavern and my artifacts and research."

"Those are facts and things. Tell me how you feel about being an alien."

Michael took his time replying. "I know I'm different, that I have powers no one else has. But I don't know if I feel different, because I don't know what I should feel like instead of this. Can you explain what it feels like to be human so I can know if my feeling matches?"

"I see what you mean. There's no point of reference, no way to compare."

"I watch shows and movies about aliens. I read fiction and nonfiction. I wait for something to click, some instinct or buried memory that will let me know this might be what my planet is like. But it never happens. It used to matter so much because I didn't grow up in a home like Max and Isobel's. It went away when we got together. It came back when you left because I didn't have anyone or anything to take your place. And now it doesn't matter again except as an intellectual exercise. Because we may never know more. And I can live with that."

Alex kissed Michael. "Everyone is an alien to others. We can't know what it's like to be anybody else. But I think we come close. No one else knows me like you do."

A few days later Alex came home to find Michael strumming his old guitar.

"I haven't seen you play since I got back."

"I haven't played for years." Michael flexed his damaged hand. "I'm out of practice and my fingers are stiff but it's my turn to pick what we talk about and I thought I'd play and sing instead."

"Yes, please."

Tell me all the things you would change ...

Seven worlds will collide
Whenever I'm by your side
Dust from a distant sun
Will shower over everyone

"That's beautiful."

Michael hunched one shoulder. "Seems to fit us."

"Our relationship? Yeah. I love it and I love you."

"I love you, too. Just so you know, I haven't given up talking for singing. We can talk over dinner."

"A late dinner."

"Not hungry?"

"Not for food. Let's go to bed."

It had only been a couple of days but tonight was one of those times it felt like forever. Michael was quick but careful with prep. Alex was impatient, pushing against him but he sighed with pleasure when he got what he wanted. It was smooth and wet and they tried to slow down but they were young and healthy and release was too close.

Afterward, with Michael spooning him, Alex said, "Tell me about the song. How did you find it?"

"That song is the first music I ever heard. It was playing on the radio when the trucker stopped for us. Years later I looked it up. Distant Sun by Crowded House from 1993."

"Why didn't you play it before?"

"Sounds silly now but I thought dust from a distant sun and worlds colliding would give something away. Max and Isobel and I were pretty paranoid in school. Nobody else knew the song and I didn't want to draw attention."

"I'm glad you saved it for us. We have a song now." Alex turned over and began moving against Michael.

"You sure our ratio of sex to talking can take another hit?"

"Singing is an alternative to talking. And tonight you put us way ahead."