Chapter 13

After departing from the Hardware Lab Ko made his way back to his room. Lying down on the bed to relax he decided to make use of the headset to watch some videos. Pulling it onto his head he selected the Media section before selecting a random genre and film. The film he had previously watched with Mikhaila had intrigued him not simply because of the plot, as he could draw obvious parallels between the Beast and himself and possibly even his growing relationship with Mikhaila, but the entire concept of presenting a story in such a format. Ko knew Morgan had seen many movies in his life as he had been able to feel faint echoes of familiarity while watching it but nothing specific had sprung to mind. Thus he decided to make some of his own memories to compensate.

The movie itself was described as a romantic comedy which confused him. He knew what romance and comedy were, thanks mostly to Mikhaila, but how a movie could successfully intermix the two concepts, especially ones that did not generally overlap, was puzzling to him. As the movie played out before him the various characters slowly realized their connection to each other and worked to overcome the sometimes absurd obstacles around them in order to make their relationship a reality. As he watched he slowly began to understand their motivations for the actions they undertook. The drive to come together with what they believed to be their ideal partner made some sense to him, though Typhon did not concern themselves with ideal partners due to how they reproduced, but after a while he could tell that was not the primary focus of the tale as it focused more on their personalities and character rather than any animalistic urges. By the time the movie ended the two had cemented their relationship and were now free to pursue it without the pressures and issues from before due to their own determination and cleverness, an idea he found intriguing.

The next several days passed quickly with Ko improving his skill with various pistols as well as learning how to properly fire and maintain a bolt-action rifle. Pleased with his progress Elazar soon moved on to semi-automatic rifles and fully automatic, showing him how to properly brace himself when firing them as well as how to fire in short bursts to maintain his aim as well as conserve ammunition.

"Semi-automatics are primarily used for long range accurate shots." She explained at one point. "Like the bolt-action you can fire single shots at long range or you can use burst mode to fire off a short series of rounds without compromising your targeting. Fully automatic mode should never be used unless you're in a target rich environment and you have no other options as it will burn through your ammunition in moments, plus the fact that your aim will suffer."

The afternoons and evenings he continued to spend with Mikhaila, enjoying her company as he had done for the past several weeks. The two would often eat dinner together before returning to her room to relax and watch a movie together or just chat. As they watched a variety of different films including comedies, romances, actions, thrillers, and war movies, he began to find a common theme running through most of them.

Human determination, creativity, and perseverance in the face of adversity to achieve victory was chief amongst the themes presented, whether it was in pursuit of a partner, fighting a battle to win a war, or even the preservation of the character's life against various enemies they were forced to fend off. All of them involved humans using cleverness, creative thinking, ingenuity, and sometimes simple raw brute force and determination taken to insane levels in order to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat or fulfill a horrific and all-consuming desire. The full range of human thought was on display for him to see, from unbridled arrogance and fury powerful enough to willingly commit genocide and enslave a world, to the most beautiful acts of selfless sacrifice to save those around them or even total strangers. Love and shame, guilt and friendship, trust and betrayal, reconciliation and revenge, all of it was laid bare to him in the various stories told. Often after the end of each movie he would ask Mikhaila about concepts or interactions that confused him with the woman filling in the details with seemingly endless patience.

As the evenings passed he found Mikhaila becoming more and more comfortable around him. While she had been relaxed in his presence for some time she had rarely shown overt signs of affection that weren't nurturing or maternal in nature but for the last few weeks she began to lean against him as they watched a movie or curl her arm around his, her calm blue aura becoming flecked with gold as she did so. Realizing what was happening he would wrap his arm around her shoulders in response or stroke her hair, making the golden motes in her psyche more dense. As he would leave for the evening she would always give him a quick but gentle kiss goodnight, something he very much enjoyed.

One morning as he was eating breakfast Elazar made an appearance in his room.

"Today we're going to be doing something a little different." Elazar explained to him as she watched the hybrid eat. "You've been doing well hitting targets on a wall but as you know, real life is much different and we need to prepare you for that as well."

Ko paused, looking carefully at her with his receptors.

Elazar smirked slightly at his reaction. "Relax, we're not having you practice on the staff. We've adjusted the simulation a bit to allow you to practice on moving targets as well as simulated Typhon enemies like the ones you originally encountered. It'll also help you to practice shooting from cover and from other environments. The simulations will get more complicated as time goes on but for now it's going to be about being aware of your environment and firing on actual enemies."

Ko nodded. "I think I can handle that."

"Good. Let's go." She said.

Ko quickly finished his breakfast and the pair made their way to the simulation room.

"The others didn't want me to tell you about this by the way." She remarked quietly as they walked. "They wanted to mix up the experiences between the sim and reality so that you wouldn't know the difference, ostensibly so they could get more genuine reactions from you when encountering new situations. I agree with getting genuine reactions but Mikhaila and I pretty much told them that if we started lying to you now you'd have trust issues later on when you found out the truth. But now that you know, I can't have you acting like this is all a game. When we get to the advanced training you will be fighting against enemies that can hurt you and believe me, you can feel pain in the sim. So don't get cocky, try to act as genuine as you can; whether or not you think you're in a sim you need to act as if it were real because once you're on the front line you don't have time to second guess yourself or wonder whether everything is a sim or not."

Ko nodded. "I will. Thank you." He said sincerely.

Elazar nodded. A few moments later they arrived at the room. Ko eyed the chair with its headset and manacles for a moment before carefully sitting down in it.

"Relax." Elazar said as she locked the manacles in place, making him stiffen. "The manacles were originally installed to make sure the subject didn't flail about during the simulation and injure themselves unintentionally. It happens quite often with very immersive sims like this."

"I still feel trapped." Ko remarked uncomfortably.

"You won't in a second." Elazar stated as she slipped the headset over Ko's face and adjusted it.

Ko heard her move away before her fingers began typing on a nearby keyboard. Finishing a moment later he heard her walking away towards the rear of the room. Suddenly the dark display burst into a cacophony of lights and noise making him jerk in surprise. A moment later the scene became clear and he found himself looking at the sim room. Blinking in surprise he glanced down to see the manacles were unlocked before looking around. A moment later Elazar walked around the chair, leaning idly against the control console with her arms crossed, wearing the same outfit she had worn moments later. Reaching up to touch his face he could feel everything contour perfectly.

"Looking for something?" Elazar asked in amusement.

Grimacing at his foolishness he let his hand fall. This was all in his mind after all, he would hardly be able to feel the headset on his real face with virtual hands.

"Come on, we've got a lot to do." Elazar informed him as she stepped away from the machines and towards the door.

Ko quickly stood and followed her out of the room and down the hallway. As they walked he surreptitiously looked about to see if he could spot any flaws or errors in the simulation such as a glitching polygon on a wall or missing texture on the ceiling but as far as his eyes could see everything was rendered perfectly. Even the sound of their footfalls echoed down the hall as he would have expected them to, the lighting perfectly normal. They made their way across the lobby with Joel stationed at his post as always, waving to them as they passed. Ko partially raised his hand to wave back when he realized what he was doing, allowing his hand to fall again. This Joel wasn't real, merely a character created by the simulation to make the station look more real. Even so, he could help but notice that Joel's eyes followed after him as they made their way to the Hardware Lab. The long room was the same as always with its table of weapons and ammunition nearby. Walking over to the table he examined them carefully. Picking up the pistol he unloaded it and checked it carefully, having become fairly familiar with it over the week of training. The weight was the same as he remembered, as was the color of the metal and grip. Even the small scratches and scuff marks from age were the same along with the small serial number on the side.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Elazar asked from nearby. "Dr. Calvino's Looking Glass technology allows us to scan three dimensional objects and convert them into a perfect render in the simulation. Not just visuals either. Sound recorded with it in a three dimensional space captures not only the initial sound but the echo and reverberations as well so that we can transform and alter it based on the space created in the simulation. Firing this outdoors on Earth would sound different than within an enclosed room but we can make it sound perfectly accurate."

Ko slid his finger along the embossed serial number thoughtfully. "Then how do you tell?" He wondered softly as he stared at the weapon. "If you can replicate reality so perfectly, how can you know what's real and what's not?"

"That was a worry in the beginning when we realized just how powerful this technology could be." She admitted as she helped him load the weapons before moving down the room to the far wall where the targets were placed.

"But there are certain things you can look for. Here's an example." She mentioned as she pressed a small button he hadn't noticed before that was set into the wall. A section of the wall suddenly slid open, revealing another, larger room behind it.

"Spaces within spaces." She explained. "Technically the room in front of us shouldn't exist since there's other rooms beyond this wall in reality. But in the sim reality is what we make it. We can create a separate room somewhere else and link it to a specific location or object like the border of this doorway. Technically this opening is a gateway with a view of the room inside attached to it. Once you pass through it the system renders the room and 'teleports' you into the other space without you noticing the transition. Kind of like when you play a video game and the system has to render the area when you enter a new level, except with the processing power and technology we have, there's no lag or loading time, making it seamless."

"You sound like Mikhaila giving a lecture." Ko remarked in amusement as they stepped into the room.

Elazar smirked. "Well I don't have her technical know-how but I did study some basic programming in college and I'm familiar with some aspects of game design so I understand the basic theory. Enough to get by anyway. The point is that the incongruities are there if you know how to look for them."

Ko nodded thoughtfully at this, intrigued by the notion and somewhat comforted by the confirmation that even this simulation wasn't flawless as he looked about. This room was twice as large as the Hardware Lab and filled with various open spaces as well as chest-high partitions and barriers made of concrete.

"Now then," Elazar continued, her tone becoming more business-like, "today you're going to be practicing not only hitting 'live' and moving targets but you'll be learning how you and the enemy use cover."

Ko nodded as Elazar snapped her fingers. Suddenly half a dozen humanoid figures in black outfits appeared behind the various barriers, their bodies and faces covered with black body suits and helmets. Ko jerked slightly in surprise at their sudden appearance before steadying himself.

"Mobile training dummies, basically, with a range of actions they can undertake." Elazar explained.

She then went on to explain the best means of using cover to his advantage.

"Don't blind fire over the top or around the barricade unless you need to, it's a waste of ammunition." She was saying. "The point of cover is to protect yourself or give yourself time to reload your weapon before re-engaging the enemy. Try to use it to your advantage and move from cover to cover to lessen your exposure. The more time out in the open, the more likely you are to get hit. That doesn't mean you should never rush a position to overtake it but only do that when you believe you have a reasonable chance of success. Blind hope will only get you killed in a situation like that."

She then walked him through how to move from barricade to barricade, running low to the ground with her weapon pointed towards various enemies before popping up and firing on one before moving to the next and repeating the process with Ko following after her mimicking her movements.

"Right, time to try it out on your own." She stated as she moved outside the training area to oversee things.

Ko nodded at her as he continued to crouch behind the low barrier. Peeking around it he saw some of the dark figures moving to try and flank him on his left. A small flare of anticipation flowed through him as he turned to face in their direction. As the dark figures scurried between barriers he quickly popped out, firing several rounds and hitting one before ducking down as several retorts barked in his direction, the sound of bullets zipping by above his head. Racing quickly towards another barrier he quickly took aim, leading the shot and firing, hitting the next moving target before ducking down once more. More bullets whizzed by and he ran towards another barrier to his right to try and flank another group. He felt a projectile graze his shoulder, making him jerk as he dived for cover.

I'm too slow like this! He growled mentally as he popped up to fire on one of the targets, ducking down at the last second to avoid their return fire. I need a better strategy…

A moment later he mentally smacked himself in the head, annoyed at his seemingly limited imagination.

You're a Typhon dumbass! Act like one!

Mentally grinning in anticipation he quickly plotted his next few moves as he watched the dummies move back and forth between the different barriers. As they began moving again he acted.

An instant later reality warped around him as he flash-stepped across the intervening space in an instant, the dummies seemingly moving in slow motion to his senses. Flash-stepping twice more between barriers he closed the distance between them as they raised their weapons inches at a time. Unbound by the traditional limitations of flesh and bone, or in this case reactionary AI programming, he quickly raised his weapon and fired in a swift sequence, hitting each of the dummies in the head and making them fly backwards before they could fire a shot.

A moment later he heard slow clapping from nearby as Elazar smirked at him. "I was wondering how long it would take you to try something like that." She said. "Admittedly I expected it to take a little longer but I'm glad to see I was mistaken in this case."

"It was kind of obvious when it occurred to me." Ko admitted.

Elazar nodded. "You've been training yourself to be human for quite a while and I was showing you how a human moves and acts on the battlefield. You need to be aware of that and how to move like a human when you need to, but always remember you have abilities to draw on that will make you superior to any human soldier. Just try not to get stuck in one mindset or another or else you'll end up hampering yourself at a critical moment or alienating any allies you make. It might be difficult, balancing the two and knowing when to use which method but in time you'll get the hang of it."

Ko nodded in appreciation.

"Good. Now, let's try it again. This time I want you to restrain yourself and move like a human does. You need more practice with that."

Ko nodded, shifting himself into his human form, this time dressed in combat fatigues of green and brown he had seen in one of his books. Elazar smiled in amusement at the attempt of professionalism. "Move out soldier!" She barked.

Ko saluted. "Yes ma'am!" He replied enthusiastically as he moved behind another barrier.

Another finger snap later and the engagement began again.

Now bound in human flesh and limited to human reaction times Ko was forced to move much more defensively, his uniform taking several grazing hits as he quickly moved back and forth, firing at the dummies before retreating back into cover. Watching them carefully he managed to sneak behind them when they moved as a group to try and flank his last known position, firing several shots into the backs of two or three of them before they were able to turn and return fire, forcing him to leap back behind a pillar, hunching himself tightly as he reloaded before crouching down and spinning out from behind it, bracing the rifle against his shoulder as he did so and lining up a shot. Firing a pair of shots he managed to hit another dummy in the shoulder as the others fired at him. A second later he felt several solid masses slam into his chest and stomach, knocking him back and leaving him momentarily disoriented. Looking down he saw the front of his uniform covered in blood red liquid.

"Congratulations, you're deceased." Elazar remarked flatly as the dummies vanished. "What could you have done to prevent it?"

Ko grimaced as he considered his options. "I suppose I could have peeked first before moving out of cover." He admitted.

Elazar nodded. "You looked like you were getting rather frazzled when you moved behind that pillar, you weren't thinking clearly. Obviously you can't anticipate everything an enemy might do but you need to make sure to stay level-headed when the situation changes. That takes time and practice."

Ko nodded with a sigh as he refocused, the liquid on his uniform vanishing, making it pristine once more.

"Again!" Elazar announced with another finger snap.

The training continued for the rest of the day as Elazar had him continue practicing various duck and fire maneuvers. As he retired to his room he found Mikhaila waiting for him with a warm smile.

"Long day of training?" She asked.

"You could say that." Ko replied as he smiled upon seeing her, giving her a hug and sitting down in the chair. "I got shot several times by the dummies. I got the feeling Elazar got some perverse pleasure out of it."

"Oh she's not that bad." Mikhaila insisted as she rested her hands on his shoulders, rubbing them gently.

While Ko had no muscles beneath his skin for her hands to loosen he still found her comforting touches relaxing as he leaned back, looking up at her with a grateful smile. Mikhaila smiled back fondly as her hands moved to his neck and then his face, her fingers stroking gently. Ko closed his eyes, letting out a soft breath as he enjoyed the feel of her fingers stroking his skin, the intimacy of it and the sensations filling him with gentle pleasure.

"That feels so nice." He murmured.

"Sensitive human skin?" She asked, lightly teasing him.

"Very sensitive." He agreed softly.

A whisper of her thoughts floated past his senses. I know other places that are sensitive.

"Where?" He asked in an almost sleepy tone.

"Where what?" Mikhaila asked quizzically.

"Other sensitive places." He replied, his eyes still closed.

Mikhaila's hands twitched, suddenly stilling, and he could feel tension in them that had been absent before.

"You heard that?" She asked hesitantly as Ko opened his eyes to look up at her in concern.

"I guess I shouldn't have." He admitted. "But when you project like that and there's no one else around…"

Mikhaila sighed, letting her hands drop to his shoulders. "No, it's not your fault Ko. You can't control it and it's not fair of me to…"

Ko sat up and turned in the chair to face her, his eyes troubled. "Why didn't you want me to hear it Mikhaila?" He asked quietly in a plaintive tone. "Why are you scared of me hearing you?"

Why is it whenever we seem to get closer something happens that scares you away?

"I've told you about how people view their minds Ko." She reminded him with a hint of mild reproach.

His confusion only seemed to deepen at the non-answer. "I know that but...I thought...isn't it different with us?" He asked. "Aren't we...aren't we supposed to know each other...what we're thinking?"

Why is she still scared of me? I thought couples were supposed to be connected? Aren't we?

Mikhaila couldn't help but feel a pang in her chest at the hurt and innocent tone of his voice as he looked at her with an almost child-like confusion. At the same time she couldn't help but smile as his expression melted her tension away. She nearly made a quip about him sneaking romance novels behind her back but she could tell he was genuinely concerned.

"We will Ko but it takes time." She explained gently. "I'm sorry I reacted like that, I shouldn't have. I'm just not used to it yet. It's alright, I'm not scared anymore."

Ko gazed at her thoughtfully for a moment, forcing himself to push past the hurt and think as he examined her aura, parts of it tinged in violet and sickly green as it tumbled like frothing water about her head.

Part of her hurts...the part she doesn't want me to see, to hear. I can see it...I need to find out what it is.

She could see his eyes flicking back and forth from her face to various places around her head and she realized he was examining her aura before he slowly stood and moved to her, his face morphing from injured confusion to more mature concern as he rested his hands gently on her shoulders.

"Why didn't you want me to know that?" He asked softly, his tone more measured. "What scares you about 'sensitive places'?"

Mikhaila blushed slightly as she averted her gaze.

She saw him cock his head with a quizzical look of incomprehension before understanding seemed to come to him. "It was an intimate thing wasn't it?" He asked quietly. "A sexual thing."

"A little of both, yes." She admitted with a sigh.

"Why does that scare you?" He asked gently as he raised his hand to touch her cheek gently. "Does it scare you to be...intimate with me? Isn't that what couples are supposed to be?"

Mikhaila opened her mouth to reflexively deny the former question before she paused at the latter. Was that the truth? Was she really afraid of him knowing those parts of her that she usually kept buried? The parts that squealed like a young girl whenever she thought of him in a romantic way? The parts that were excited to be dating him and to see what happened next?

He could see her aura becoming even more agitated as thoughts coursed swiftly through her mind. Instinctively he moved closer to rest his forehead gently against hers as he began to stroke her cheek lightly, his gaze entirely focused on her. He could feel her aura swirling around his head and without thinking he mentally stretched himself outward to try and mix his own psyche with hers.

She felt her mind relaxing at his closeness and she could see his raw desire to know what was wrong and to fix what was causing this distance between them. As she considered his question further she decided she had to find out why these seemingly insignificant events were causing her such distress as she knew they would forever be an issue between them unless she resolved it. At her core she was an engineer and she had just discovered a flaw that needed fixing and she was determined to do so.

She began to cast her mind back into her past, noting instances and incidents that began to create a pattern she had not realized before. Her parents treating her like she was made of spun glass after the doctors had confirmed her diagnosis of Paraplexis. Her acquaintances giving her side-long glances or moments of hesitation when she spoke with them while her friends insisted on being more helpful, nearly to the point of frustration, as if thinking she was disabled after learning of her condition. As she continued the train of thought she realized that over the years she had internalized their perceptions of her, at least to some degree, and caused her to withdraw partly into herself. Yes her condition was degenerative and if not for her boosters she would perish but she was hardly the cripple others had perceived her to be, her drive and dedication to be what she was now was proof enough of that. And yet, despite her insistence to the contrary, she had allowed her Paraplexis to control parts of her life, to dictate how she presented herself to everyone, either hiding it completely to avoid the stigma or allowing others to know about it and having to deal with their altered perception of her. Even her relationship with Morgan had been somewhat shallow, a combination of her hesitancy and his prideful nature.

The revelation made her grimace as she mentally chastised herself for her foolishness. She wasn't weak. she wasn't crippled, and she certainly shouldn't be scared of something like this, being a grown and mature woman. Intimacy was a part of every relationship and she had been scared into avoiding it because of how people had treated her when they learned about the disease. But Ko was not like that. He knew of her condition already from the sim and had saved her from deteriorating further. Even after the sim as he had gotten closer to her he never brought it up, as if it were a non-issue.

This is how everyone else should have treated me! She fumed as she allowed the pain and anger she had buried for years to finally surface. Like I was normal! Like it didn't matter! I'm not some goddamn cripple or delicate flower! I'm a woman damnit! I want to be treated like one just for once!

Ko's eyes widened as her words of fury surged across his psyche, understanding filling his mind.

You are normal Mikhaila! She heard Ko's voice whisper earnestly in her head like a soothing balm. It doesn't matter to me! It never has! I love you! I want to be with you! Show me who you really are!

Realization struck her and she looked up into his eyes, his own piercing and utterly focused on her with a passion that was undeniable. The edges of her vision were tinged with gold and she could swear Ko's head had the slightest halo around it, his face gleaming with warm light. She could feel his desire to understand, to know, and to be with her in every way like a powerful hunger that made her shiver. A wide smile blossomed on her face as the implications unfolded in her mind. I can be however I want around him. I don't have to hide. I don't have to worry. He loves me. Even with...

It's alright Mikhaila. Show me. He insisted.

An instant later she was pressing her lips firmly against his, her hands moving to curl in his hair, gripping his locks. Ko immediately kissed her back as he wrapped his arms around her, hugging her firmly against him. She could feel a swell of emotions surging between them as she kissed him hungrily, her mind and body begging for proof of her conclusions. Ko seemed to immediately know what she wanted as his hand slid upwards to the back of her head, gripping her hair firmly in a move that screamed possessiveness and she could hear him panting swiftly through his nose as they continued to press their lips hard against each other.

Finally after several long moments they pulled back slightly, enough to part their lips though their foreheads continued to touch, both of them breathing heavily as he released her hair.

"You want me!" She whispered in quiet amazement. "Even though I'm sick."

"I don't care about that." He insisted passionately before flinching at how it sounded and she could feel shame wash over him for a moment. "I mean…"

"I know." She assured him with a smile. "It's alright, I know what you mean."

He pressed his lips to hers again and she didn't hesitate to kiss him back, her fingers sliding along his face and through his hair as he held her tightly, his hands sliding along her back. As they pulled back once more she managed to gather her scattered wits.

"I could hear you...in my head." She murmured. "Is that how you hear me?"

Ko nodded. "Like a whispery voice in the air, yes."

The implications should have shocked her but at the moment worry was the farthest thing from her mind. She could feel the barriers she had placed around herself crumbling and at that moment she knew she had to make a choice, whether to let him in completely or forever shut him out.

After a long moment of self-reflection she could feel what she wanted deep down in her core that had been buried by walls and cold rationality. She wanted to be known.

"Go ahead Ko." She murmured softly. "I want you to see what's inside."

Looking into his eyes she could see his own penetrating gaze and she nodded in affirmation. "It's alright. I want you to see me. All of me."

She could feel a powerful humbleness and honor fill him at her willingness to let him in so deeply, especially given what had come before.

"Thank you Mikhaila." He whispered gratefully as he stretched forth his senses while gazing into her eyes.

Immediately he could feel her mental state slowly shifting from uncertain and hesitant to more certain, the decision she had made cementing itself in her subconscious and changing her aura from patchy bruised purple and green to a more calm azure with flecks of gold. He could sense a willingness slowly growing inside of her like a seed blossoming into a large tree as her conviction began to spread throughout her thought processes.

I want you too Ko. Her thoughts whispered around him. At first you were too eager to give yourself away but I've seen you grow. I've seen you maturing and the two of us becoming closer every day. I knew I cared about you but there were parts of me that I wasn't ready to share with you yet. Thoughts I was too ashamed to admit to you because of how I saw myself. But tonight I finally made up my mind thanks to you. I want us to be together in every way that matters. I want to take that chance. I want you to see everything because I know you won't judge me like everyone else has. You don't see the Paraplexis, you see 'me'.

Warmth and excitement filled him upon hearing her words as he explored further, mental tendrils sliding further into her mind to examine her memories and subconscious. He finally understood that Mikhaila had been holding herself back for a long time, unwilling to commit to a relationship due to her illness and the stigma it created inside her as well as her mission to find out what happened to her father. Her relationship with Morgan had been one of mutual respect and attraction but it had been fairly brief and shallow with Morgan cutting ties with her abruptly, the man unwilling to tell her the reason behind it. After that Morgan had become distant towards her due to his neuromod-induced shift in personality. Not knowing what had happened or why, Mikhaila had closed herself off even more, believing her illness would forever prevent her from having a lasting relationship.

When he had been naked in her room and offered himself to her she had been shocked and confused but also aroused and excited at the prospect of someone, even an alien, finding her desirable and attractive. She had rebuffed him due to his inexperience and apparent mental age, not to mention the suddenness, but even in that moment when she had forced herself to look away from his body, her instincts wanting badly to touch and explore him purely out of lust and long pent up urges. Her societal conditioning had won out, and after having the discussion with Danielle he was grateful it had, but even afterwards she had been willing to give him a chance, even though the possibility of them being more than friends seemed remote. Now, however, now she was finally willing to open up to him fully and show him every facet of her, even the ones she had been embarrassed about before.

You understand now. She whispered to him mentally.

Yes. He replied softly in return.

Looking up at her aura he could see fragile threads of gold that were almost Coral-like forming and flowing between them, creating neural interconnections as their auras intermixed.

You are beautiful Mikhaila. Not just your body and how you look but in your mind, in all that you are. Look! He indicated with his eyes.

Mikhaila looked up and gasped softly at the golden strands flowing between them. So beautiful! It's like the Coral…!

New connections are forming between you and me. Ko confirmed. We can share so much now. I want you to know how I feel about you. You care for me so much…

A memory flashed between them of her holding him as he cried.

'Am I...am I innocent?' 'Yes…'

You gave me life…

'Would you let it live?'...'Yes…'

You desired me but even then you wanted to protect me…

'Ko...you need to understand that it's not something you just give away!...Simple human kindness isn't worth something so precious!'

All of that only made me want you more and more. It hasn't faded with time like you thought it would. He said with soft passion. I want to be with you, always!

A flood of jubilation and a powerful feeling of being enfolded completely filled him as Mikhaila poured her joy and happiness into him. He could feel her wanting to pull him into her, surround him with love and protection like a cocoon while at the same time desiring him to be a strong protector for her. Not the kind of power hungry man she had seen and known throughout her life, but one who would stand by her and protect her when she needed it as well as being gentle and tender when such strength was unnecessary. As much as she was a strong, independent woman, she still desired to be protected and cared for when the need arose.

As she poured more of herself into him, her wants and thoughts that she had hidden from him came to the forefront of her mind and the glimpses that he had seen of her desires were laid bare before him.

Her hands slid across his naked chest and stomach before sliding downward to take hold of his penis, the core of his masculinity and sexual power before stroking it to make it stiffen while he touched her chest and face, caressing her to affirm his arousal and desire for her, confirming she was a beautiful and desirable woman with whom he wanted to become one with in every way before he slid inside her effortlessly, their bodies joining together...

Ko gasped as he felt Mikhaila's powerful desire ignite the feelings he had previously felt that night, kindling a fire inside him. More than that, as Mikhaila shared herself with him he felt as if his body was becoming stronger, his limbs and torso becoming more dense as a feeling of fullness filled him, something he had never truly felt until now.

Mikhaila! He exclaimed, a burst of fear entering his mind. Are you okay?! Am I…?

Hush Ko. She insisted softly. Everything's fine. You aren't consuming me. It's alright.

I feel… He trailed off in amazement as he projected into her mind, words not nearly enough to describe the sensations and breadth of feelings he was experiencing as their psyches became more and more intertwined, the golden strands becoming thicker and more numerous between them.

I think we just found a way for you to safely eat and be satisfied Ko. She said with a touch of humor. It gives new meaning to the phrase 'eat me' I suppose. She laughed lightly.

Mikhaila felt a burst of confusion and curiosity from him. Deciding to humor him as well as give him something to enjoy she pushed another fantasy into his mind.

Mikhaila lay on her bed, naked, with him lying between her legs, his mouth and face pressed against her most private area as he kissed and stimulated her, making her writhe with pleasure as she moaned.

Ko gasped at the powerfully erotic scene, feeling arousal and pleasure shooting through him, making his body tremble.

Mikhaila! He gasped. I…!

The woman understood as she felt the flames of his desire surging inside him, the fire of his longing burning even hotter and more steady. He was close to losing control of his inhibitions, the desire to take her becoming stronger by the moment. Taking pity on him she pulled her head back slightly, causing some of the golden strands to fray, lessening their connection to each other.

The sensation was like a splash of cold water on Ko's body as he felt her presence diminish, leaving him feeling as if a limb was being stretched and pulled away from his body.

Don't go…! He implored her desperately. We only just…!

It's alright Ko. She assured him. I just want to slow down before things go too far. We need to understand what's happening. Don't forget I'm an engineer. This connection we have...it's beautiful and I want more of it too but we need to explore it carefully, find out answers first before we get too deep into this. She explained patiently. I don't want to dive in and suddenly have our heads explode or something. She said with a mental smile.

She could feel his brief disappointment like a hint of sour in her mouth but a moment later she felt him agree.

You're right. He sighed. We need to figure this out. I suppose that means we'll be doing it a lot more often though. He suggested eagerly. Care to perform some 'experiments' with me? He said in a teasing and slightly naughty way.

Mmmm...I'd be delighted. She replied saucily, making him shiver once more.

The pair sat in comfortable silence for a moment before Ko spoke into her mind again.

Mikhaila...is this...is this what coupling is like? He asked softly.

He felt her pause in thought before soft tenderness flowed into him from her mind.

Yes, Ko, yes it is. Humans can't connect like this but we so badly want to. Coupling is the closest we can come to it. It's like...the fire you feel inside you exploding outward and being together like we were just now at the same time.

Ko took in a sharp breath at the thought and Mikhaila could feel the awe and excitement flowing from him, the idea taking on an almost rapturous feel.

Calm down and take some breaths Ko. She insisted gently. We're going to be doing quite a few experiments before we go that far, but we will. Right now, though, I need to...disconnect. Get ready. She cautioned as she pulled back slowly, the golden filaments stretching and then breaking gently as their auras separated fully, the strands blowing away like lines of dust from a soft wind.

Mikhaila took in a deep breath to steady herself as Ko did the same.

"It's like...losing a part of yourself." Ko whispered sadly, his eyes moist.

Mikhaila couldn't help but agree as she wiped her eyes, the profoundness of the mental joining beyond anything she had experienced before. She understood now why Ko felt as he did. If a joining like this was so powerful, combining it with sex would be the ultimate intimate experience.

Mikhaila closed her eyes and took more deep breaths to center herself. After a moment she felt her mind slowly settling as it reoriented itself to being alone in her own head once more. When she opened her eyes she saw Ko standing next to her in his natural form, his dark matter body shifting slightly as his visual receptors wandered across the front and sides of his head, though his body seemed less wispy and more solid than before. Surprisingly she could still feel the warmth and desire for him even as she gazed at his alien form. A small part of her had worried that she was only attracted to him because of the human form he took to wearing almost all the time but seeing him now, standing before her, his body utterly foreign, she found her feelings hadn't changed from a few moments ago.

"You're still beautiful." She told him softly, reaching out to touch his slightly writhing arm.

She felt him shiver at this as his smoky dark hand ending in sharp talons covered hers. "I don't have the words for what I feel." He replied painfully in his static-laced gravelly voice. "I want to be with you in every way I can. To feel what you feel, to be inside you and all around you…"

"To be one." She confirmed softly. "It's what humans have always wanted but could never truly have."

"We have it now." He replied softly, squeezing her hand gently.

"Yes. We have it now." She confirmed softly with a smile. "Still full?" She inquired.

After a second's pause he nodded. "Yes." He confirmed in a satisfied tone. "Feeling like this...it was like I was half-starved and running on as little energy as I could the entire time and now…"

"Now you have all the energy you need." Mikhaila nodded. "Good. I'll make sure to come by every day to make sure you're well fed. We'll do the experiments at the same time. And when we finally have it all figured out, we'll take it all the way." She promised.

"I love you Mikhaila." Ko murmured as he leaned forward, nuzzling her head. Even with their senses pulled back she could feel the affection and appreciation he had for her.

"I love you too Kobalt." She murmured as her arms wrapped around his cool and writhing exterior, hugging him tightly.