TOMMY - ONE MONTH LATER
I get up from my desk and stretch. I consider going and 'seeing' Zedd for a bit, but I know that he's involved in some pretty intense negotiations on a sensitive contract and given the fact my language skills aren't really needed for this particular contract there's really no reason or excuse to go join him. Instead, I head for the kitchen. Odds are, Dar's helping him to keep Zedd's temper under control, since again I'm not needed to translate what's said and thus can't tactfully reword certain hostile or insulting statements from both parties, so I'll start lunch to help out.
I keep things simple and quick in case they have to grab a bite and run back. As I work, I plan out what to make for dinner - maybe I can finally get around to making the lasagna for them. Zedd has been asking about it, and we finally got the noodles and cheese I need for it. That along with some garlic bread and a bottle of wine would probably work out very well. My thoughts wander as I work. I really want to find a way to spoil Zedd the way he did me a month ago, but I really can't come up with much. Unfortunately, it's the Christmas problem all over again. Not to mention that anything else that I think of, he already did - like the picnic.
Not surprisingly, Pina shows up for lunch first. "How's it going, Tommy?"
I sigh. "Not bad. Lunch is almost ready, I've got dinner planned, but I'm stuck on something else."
"Business, language, research or Zedd?" she smiles.
"Zedd." She raises an eyebrow at me. "It's nothing bad, it's just, I want to spoil him like he did me when we first got back home, but I can't come up with anything."
Her brow furrows as she considers the problem. "Maybe you shouldn't plan to do a lot of things in one day like he did. Maybe spread it out. You could start out by taking him to a bar tonight. If your new cruiser gets here today, you could take that and let him try it out."
After a morning of arguing and a week of decisions, I finally gave in and let him buy the damn thing - but I paid for the upgrades I wanted. He didn't give in graciously, to be sure, but he eventually did. "We could probably do that. We could go to the supply planet and I can give that contact of yours another payment."
She laughs lightly. "We've already given her quite a bit. Trust me, if we never gave her another credit for her help, she wouldn't feel slighted in the least."
"I still feel like I owe her."
"Owe who?" comes the voice of my mate, who comes over to give me a kiss as Dar greets his.
"Asa - Pina's contact on the supply planet."
"Ah, yes. The girl who helped you find me. Have we not paid her off yet?"
"I don't think so, but Pina seems to think we have." Again, how do you put a value on the life of a loved one? "How are your negotiations going?"
"Better than we hoped" Dar answers me. "Everything's settled, Zedd didn't threaten to kill anyone, and we got a better rate than we thought they'd agree to."
"Good news" Pina comments.
"Well, if you're done with that, maybe we could go out tonight." I look at Zedd. "If you want to."
"Go where, Thomas?"
I shrug lightly. "I thought maybe we could go to a bar or something. Maybe the one you like on the planet where we get our supplies?"
Grabbing a sandwich and bottle of water, he gives a nod. "So you can pay Asa as well. If you'd like to go, Thomas, we can."
I pause. "Zedd, if you don't want to or you're too tired, we can go another time."
"It's not that" he assures me quickly. "I just didn't think you really liked going out to the bars that Goldar and I frequent." In fairness I really don't, as the ones that they like the most are the ones that always have some brawl occurring before the night is out, usually with them both involved in it as well.
"It's not that I don't like them, I just like you taking a break between bar fights every now and then" I tease back.
"I think it's a good idea." Thank you, Pina, for the help.
"You two haven't just gone out in quite some time. Not since the family dinner on Eltar" Dar adds. Thank you too.
Zedd thinks about it and I can practically see him reach the wrong conclusion when it happens. "You know we haven't been out together in a while have we, and not on a, what did you call it on Earth- a date–since we were actually on Earth." Crap. Realizing he's definitely got the wrong idea and is now viewing this as me wanting him to take me out for the evening, I'm not surprised in the least by his next question. "Where would you like to go mate? I'll take you anywhere you want."
"Really, the bar would be great, Zedd."
"Are you sure you just want to go to the bar, love, or would you like to go out to dinner as well? I know of a nice little restaurant a couple of planets away from there."
"We could or I can make dinner tonight so that you and Dar can relax a bit. I know how hard you've been working on this contract and really I'm not in the mood to go anywhere fancy, Zedd. Thus the bar suggestion."
"I'll even help Tommy so that you two can relax properly" Pina offers. They hesitate and Pina presses her point. "After lunch, finish up only whatever has to be done and then get a nap or have a long soak in the tub or read or something. Take the afternoon off."
They exchange glances before nodding. "We have earned it, Zedd" Dar agrees.
Zedd nods and they eat quickly and head out to finish. Pina helps me with clean up and we get started on dinner.
HOURS LATER
Dinner wasn't quite the success I'd hoped for, but Dar did warn me that they can't handle some things and, apparently the mix of seasonings in the dish hit their limit. Fortunately, Pina reminded me and I'd changed plans midway and made a much blander version as well which was more to their taste. I'll just portion out the rest and freeze it for me.
My cruiser didn't arrive as I'd hoped so we took the spare cruiser so that I could get in some more practice. I can see that Zedd's been eyeing a nearby card game in spite of him holding up his end of the conversation pretty well.
I head to the bar to get new drinks for me and Zedd. While I'm waiting, a rather pretty girl approaches me. She says something in a language I don't know. I've discovered that giving people a blank look, rather than looking confused, is most effective in letting them know that I didn't understand them. She tries a second language and then a third. "Can you help me?"
"With what?" I'm leery, as I've seen this sort of thing on bars on Earth. The next thing you know, you're in the middle of a lover's quarrel.
"There is a drunk man following me and he won't leave me alone."
My eyes narrow. "Why me? I'm sure there are several much bigger guys around here that would be much more intimidating."
She hesitates. "I told him that I was meeting my boyfriend."
"But you aren't."
"No. He's not even on this planet right now."
I sigh. "I don't think-"
Before I can finish my statement, she glances over her shoulder, throws her arms around my neck and kisses me. I feel myself react to the attractive female suddenly pressed against me even as I reflexively set my hands on her hips. Not good. She hangs on me as the male in question approaches. I feel a surge of jealousy through the bond - and it's getting stronger which means that he's getting closer. Uh oh. Praying that Zedd won't just jump in immediately, I address the drunken man. "Want something?"
"Yeah - her."
"Tough luck, buddy. She's taken."
I barely hear Zedd's muttered, "So are you."
I ignore him for the moment, pushing the girl behind me. "You need to move along and bother someone else."
"Or I can just take her from you." He follows his statement up with a clumsy swing at me, which I dodge easily.
Making sure I stay between the drunk and the girl, I continue to dodge his punches watching him carefully. I can feel that Zedd's getting more and more agitated and I know it won't be long before he decides to step in - to claim me as his mate, if nothing else. On his next shot, I move so that he crashes into a nearby table. As I hoped, the occupants of the table turn on him. I look at the woman. "Go. Now."
She kisses me again, a quick peck on the cheek this time. "Thank you." She disappears into the crowd, headed for the door.
Now that I don't have to worry about protecting her, I can turn my attention to the growing fight. Oh hell. This time I'm the one who started the brawl. I don't even have drunkenness as an excuse. I duck as someone misses their target with a chair which puts me in the line of fire, so to speak. I work my way back over to the table. As I do, I suddenly realize that Zedd's closed the bond. Now worried, my focus is more on my mate than on the fight going on.
The look on Zedd's face tells me that he's angry beyond words. "Let's get out of here, Zedd."
He doesn't answer me, but gets up and stalks along the edges of the fight as he heads for the door. Once outside where it's quieter, I try again. "Zedd-"
"Don't. Just don't." Don't what?
I follow him back to the ship and barely get on board and the door closed before he's getting the ship ready for take off. If he won't let me explain what happened, how am I going to get him to calm down?
I sit in a nearby seat as he pilots the ship, not even bothering with the autopilot as he normally would. "Zedd, please listen to me. I-"
"I don't want to hear it, Thomas."
"But-"
He spins on me. "If you want to run around kissing and groping other people, Tommy, you should have just said so. Leave me alone and don't talk to me again."
The rather nasty tone that he says my name in breaks my heart. His words alone tell me just how hurt he is, but he's so upset he's not going to listen to me right now. I go to the bathroom and wash as much of her smell off me as I can. I have no doubt that he's not going to want me to sleep in our bed if he actually thinks that I'm straying. Of all the things my past girlfriends have accused me of, cheating has never been one of them.
I return to my seat, still trying to figure out how to get him to listen to me. The rest of the trip home is made in total silence. I'm going to have to give him some time, that much is obvious. In the meantime, I know that I'm going to regret even trying to do something special for him - or suggesting the bar at the very least.
Once we're home, the silence continues. I go to the bedroom, get a quick shower and a change of clothes. I grab my pillow off the bed and a spare blanket and head for the recreation room. I'll sleep on the couch until he's ready to listen. At least I don't have to go through the embarrassment of him throwing me out of our room.
I'm surprised when, less than an hour later, Dar stalks into the room. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
I stand up, saying, "It's not like that."
Before I can say anything else, Dar's fist shoots out, catching me in the face by surprise and putting me on the floor. In my shock, he takes advantage of my inability to defend myself at the moment. Before I can react any more than to curl up to protect myself, I hear Pina call out, "Dar, stop!" Why? Does she want to make sure there's some of me left for her to beat on too?
"Why? You want a shot?"
"Did you even ask him what happened?"
I peek out from behind my arms to see that he's turned to her. "What the hell is there to ask? He kissed someone else right in front of Zedd! I trusted him just like you and Zedd insisted I do! I actually, stupidly started to like him-" The hell you say "-and what does he do?! He fucking destroys my best friend!"
Taking advantage myself now, I kick out, launching him into the wall. "For the record, she kissed me - uninvited, I might add."
Unfortunately, he's not listening as he launches back at me. More prepared now, I actually fight back - both physically as well as verbally. "I didn't do anything wrong, you ass! She approached me asking for help to get rid of a drunk. She wanted me to pose as her boyfriend that she was supposedly meeting. Before I could refuse, she threw herself at me and kissed me!"
Pina finally manages to drag Dar off of me, snarling at him to back off. Seeing that he's going to mind her for the moment, I finish my explanation as she examines my rapidly swelling and bloody face. "She did it because she saw the guy that was following her come into the bar. Rather than correct his assumption and put her in more danger, I did what I could to get rid of him without actually saying that she was my girlfriend. If she'd have given me a few more seconds, I would have suggested that she just come and sit with Zedd and me until the guy left or we could get her somewhere safer."
She sighs. "I'm sorry, Tommy. If I'd have thought for one second that things would turn out like this, I would never have suggested the bar."
"I know. I'm just waiting for him to calm down enough that he'll listen to me."
"That might be a while" Pina says. "He's pretty upset right now and really isn't in a listening mood. The last time I saw him this upset was when someone mentioned Annwyl to him about three hundred years ago and tactfully stated he left due Zedd lacking the needed physical attributes to keep him satisfied." Great. She stands and helps me to my feet.
"Which is another thing" I begin some of my own anger finding its way back to the surface. "How in the hell is me getting kissed a valid excuse for all of this" I state gesturing to myself, at the still looking displeased Goldar, and around the room in general since Zedd isn't present "but Zedd's ex kidnaps, molests, and almost kills him and everyone is like 'oh yeah, that damn Annwyl, ha ha what a pain in the ass'."
"That's different, brat."
"Why?" I demand. "Why is no one the least bit bothered by the fact that jackass kidnapped, had his way with, and nearly killed Zedd - Zedd included I might add - but again he mistakenly thinks I kiss someone and I get the hell beat out of me without even being given a chance to explain what happened."
"Because Zedd doesn't love Annwyl, his doing what he did to Zedd…Tommy, honey, that's just how our people are, or at least a good many of them. They're not good at expressing their feelings and so it's not exactly uncommon for such feelings to build and build and build until they explode in homicide, kidnapping, or property damage. We're not highly bothered by it, because in truth it's happened before, and very likely will happen again."
"What?"
"Tommy, Zedd has made a lot of enemies in his life, a lot, and many of which before he even was working for Spector. It's a given some will eventually come after him or cross paths with him, the same as it'll be for Goldar very likely. We accept this, do our best to prevent it, but plan for how to fix it once it does happen. Why do you think you got a compensation from the Council, honey? That wasn't some special circumstance, a compensation to a wrongfully attacked party is a normal every day occurance on Eltar."
Looking at her in disbelief, I finally find my voice with some difficulty. "And again, me being kissed ends my relationship."
"I highly doubt anything is ended, Tommy. Zedd will eventually calm, and if he won't listen to you I'll damn well make certain he listens to me. However there is nothing either of us can do at the moment and the bleeding seems to have stopped for now, so I suggest you go change your clothes into something less bloody and then get some rest so that the powers can heal you. Preferably in your bed."
As I head out of the room, I comment, "I don't have a bed, Pina, just like I don't have a room to go to any more."
She calls after me, "Then go sleep in my old room. At least the bed in there is better than the couch in here."
I'm sure she's right as I remember how hard it was sleeping in there when Zedd was gone saving his friend. I go in the bedroom, head straight for the dresser and get another shirt. Carefully, slowly and painfully, I pull off the slightly bloody one, noting in my head that I got hurt worse at home - where I'm supposed to be safe - than at the bar.
I hear Zedd behind me. "What the hell happened to you?"
The slight slur in his words tell me that he's been drinking - a lot and fast. Pausing briefly at the pain in my heart, I finally gather myself enough to answer him. "Goldar."
There's a pause from him. "Good."
"Really?" Not really wanting him to go after Dar, but still more then a bit ticked off myself at the moment, I give him a look. "Last time Goldar came after me you threatened to casterate him with a soup spoon. Now he pummels me after you give him your rundown of what happened tonight, a completely wrong rundown of it, I might add, and suddenly it's 'good' that he beat the hell out of me."
"He's my best friend. My only friend apparently."
Shaking my head I do my best to keep myself from completely losing it in frustration, and if I'm honest, hurt. "You know what fine, he's your best friend, you lied to him and told him I kissed some girl at the bar, he beat me up. Fine, just remember this, Jason is my best friend, and when I jump to some conclusion about something you do that I think is your fault when it isn't, I don't want to hear shit from you when he goes and beats the hell out of you. Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to change and go find some place to sleep where I don't have to worry about being blamed for shit I didn't do."
I pull on the clean shirt as he flops down on the bed with a huff and muttered 'whatever'. Heading for the door I pause briefly as he grumbles out something I honestly had tried not to think about. "You'll have nightmares."
"What do you care, it's not like they'll bother you considering you blocked me." I leave the room and go to Pina's old room, praying as I do that I don't have a nightmare tonight that I can't handle. The last thing I need is for Zedd to lord (no pun intended) it over me that I need him and he doesn't need me.
