The new human was a mercenary, possibly a bounty hunter, and he’d recognized Tristan as their eyes met, there was no doubt of that. There had been a moment when he thought the human would come at him, instead he’d gone to the bar, where he’d downed one of Orfvil’s atrociously sweet concoction and was now sipping a second. The human thought he was discreet as he glanced in the mirror to look at him, But he might as well scream his interest to Tristan. In return, the human was completely oblivious to Tristan observing him over his datapad. Motion out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. Joanifer was walking toward him her tray held against her body. He prepared himself for the masquerade. “How was the food, Tech?” He smiled at her, “It was amazing, as usual. I wouldn’t be back here every day if it wasn’t.” “I’m glad to hear that. Do you want another plate?” “No thanks, I’m good.” “Are you sure? You’re tall and muscular, I’ve seen you run in the morning, I wouldn’t want you to go to waste.” He fixed his eyes on her. “Really? You’ve been watching me run?” She blushed. “Well, you know my house is close to your property. And you don’t exactly wear much when you run, it’s err, well, it’s hard not to look.” Tristan didn’t wear anything when he ran. There was no point, the weather never got so cold his fur wouldn’t keep him warm, and while Joanifer had no interest in a non-human such as him, she had a healthy interest in the male form, and Tristan was close enough to human to get her worked up. The human was watching their interaction with barely disguised interest, and Tristan considered playing up the flirting with Joanifer, but decided against it. If she took him up on it, he’d have to come up with a way to let her down gently. Tech wasn’t much of a mask, but he had set behaviors that had been established over the years of living among this community. One of which was that he was a ‘gentle soul,’ someone who didn’t hurt others. He didn’t know why he was curious as to the human’s reaction, but it wasn’t worth the work to find out. “I can find another path to run, if my presence makes you uncomfortable.” “No, no. It isn’t a trouble. You run as much as you want to, and where you want to.” She smiled and moved on to another table. His running where she could see him was one of the handful minor details he’d engineered to set himself apart in a way that made him seem completely normal. He’d found out early in his life away from home that appearing too normal made someone stand out. So now something like doing his runs naked, where one of his neighbors could watch him, drew attention, but if asked, Joanifer wouldn’t even think to mention it, because it was just the normal way Tech was. The human had gone back to sipping his drink and glancing at him in the mirror. Tristan didn’t put him out of his mind, his attention was a concern, but he focused more on the document he was reading. The latest release on the RJ-23 which Dolfic was planning on releasing to the military within the next three objective years. Tristan’s sole interest in it was to see how it compared with the test he was putting the weapon through. A form appeared in his field of vision and Tristan put up his mask as he looked up from datapad into the human’s face. How had he moved away from the bar without being noticed? “Hi,” the human said, and while there was an edge to the voice, there was also something familiar in it. The gray eyes had an undercurrent of anger in them, but also need. He placed a case on the table. “I’m here to help you keep your promise.” He said, and Tristan caught his sent. He looked into that face, lean with a scar on the left side, and he couldn’t see the human he’d used years ago there. The human smiled, and only then did Tristan realize his hand had gone to his collarbone, where the metal diamond still rested. He moved his hand down slowly. He didn’t let himself jerk it way. He didn’t let himself rip that memento off and throw it as far as he could, something he should have done a long time ago. Why had he ever kept the thing? He looked at what the case contained, recognized the Samalian figure there, but feigned ignorance. “I’m sorry, do we know each other?” The human, Alexander Bartholomew Crimson, glared at him, the muscle in his jaw tightening, his breathing coming faster. The hand twitched, moving to his leg. No weapon there. No visible weapon, Tristan amended. This wasn’t the man he’d used. This man was harder, less keen on getting hurt, but also more willing to hurt someone. Alex looked around as he made an effort to calm himself. When he looked him in the eyes again, the expression there hadn’t changed, anger and need, but his face and body were relaxed. Tristan was impressed. The Alex he’d used would never have been capable of that level of control. He’d been all hormones and easily used desires. The human lend forward and spoke is a low, but hard voice. “I’m not here to play games. You know damned well who I am. I’m here for what you promised me.” Tristan’s tilted ear was genuine curiosity, but he mimicked the human behavior of raising an eyebrow to ensure Alex got the signal. “And what did I promise?” He kept his tone light, the kind of tone Tech would use at something he thought a joke. “Jack promised to love me,” Alex said, almost growled. “I want him back.” Tristan had to think back to remember that name. Jack had been the mask he’d worn to seduce the human. He’d helped things along with the use of synthetic pheromones, but he’d quickly realized he could have gotten the job done as easily without. Alex had been looking for an alien to fall in love with. “I’m afraid I don’t know any Jack.” He shut down the pad. “I think you have the wrong person, mister…?” “Crimson,” Alex said through gritted teeth. “Mister Crimson, it’s a pleasure meeting you, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to my work.” He stepped around him and headed to the bar. “Problem?” Orfvil asked as he took Tech’s money chip. “No, he confused me with someone else. He isn’t happy because he came all this way for nothing.” “Maybe Jacoby will know more about him.” “I guess, I just hope he’s able to get back to his search soon. Do you know if anyone’s planning to head off soon? Maybe Cornelius is do for a supply run?” “If she is, she didn’t say anything to me. As far as I know, no one’s planning on leaving. How about you? When are you due for another trip? Maybe you could drop him off somewhere?” The idea of him and Alex locked in his ship made him smile; he caught himself and put sadness in the expression. “I’d be happy to, but I don’t have any plans to go anywhere for a long time, I have a lot of work to do here.” “Yeah, all those inventions, right?” Tech gave Orfvil the same enigmatic smile he always did. “I will figure out what you get up to in that workroom of yours. You know that, right?” “I’ve told you many time. I just do research.” “Sure, but what are you researching, and why?” Tech put the smile back. “This and that.” Orfvil gave an exaggerated sigh before handing the chip back. “See you tomorrow.” “Same time.” Tristan felt Alex’s gaze on him until he stepped out. He ignored it. The human, and what he wanted, didn’t matter. He’d realize soon enough he was wasting his time. Whatever promise he thought had been made was only in his imagination, a fabrication, like Jack had been. When he reached his house, far outside the town, he turned and looked back the way he came, expecting to see the human following him. He even stood there for a few minutes waiting, and felt let down when he didn’t show up. Maybe Alex had already given up, which was for the better. He unlocked his house, then went to his workroom, to continue working on the RJ-23. The room was large with a long table along the wall where he kept his tools until he needed them to take apart one device or another. The RJ-23 hadn’t needed any of them. He had shelves on the wall where the door connecting the house to his workroom was, it was filled with cases containing data chips; manufacturer’s schematic with all the associated reports. Those tended to all be ships since he’d yet to find a practical way to get one of those to his workroom. Lockers on the wall opposite his tools, on each side of the double doors leading outside, contained anything he’d examined that he thought were still relevant. He probably had enough weapons in them to arm the entire town twice over if they were invaded. Not that he’d let them. If an invasion came, Tristan would destroy his house and workroom, leave nothing to indicate he’d been here and move on to a new planet. He had three long tables in the center of the room and a computer station at the end opposite the door. That was there for when he needed to supplement his hands on research or the few times he felt the need to check on what kind of jobs were available. It was the only computer here since the rest of the house was mostly for the sake of appearance and for a place to sleep. Tech might be a gentle person, but he was private and the others knew that other than coming to get him to fix something, they would be wasting their time to visit. He set to work on the RJ-23. It had been easy to disassemble, like most military weapons, ease of repair meant that every component could be replaced on site by a soldier, therefore someone with limited technological knowledge. He’d tested the power supply, and now was working on the maximum yield capacity of the beam. The documentation he’d read said it had a maximum yield of eighteen Iftron, which would be enough to let it make a hole through two feet of reinforced plating, but that didn’t line up with the component he was looking at. That kind of power would melt the capacitors, causing the rifle to explode. There was a banging at the door. It had to be loud to reach him all the way here. That it was at the house door meant it was a social call. He didn’t get them often, but they did happen, and it was possible that his interplay with Joanifer had led her to believe he might appreciate the company. He headed there after locking his workroom. It wouldn’t do for anyone to see the things Tech researched. The mystery suited him much better than the reality. Tristan realized there was another possible visitor as he pulled the door opened. Tech smiled at Alex, who was glowering at him. “We’re not done,” the human stated. Tristan casually looked around, a gesture Tech might do if he expected this to be a prank and was looking for another perpetrator. When he confirmed there was no one else, he dropped the mask. “We are,” he replied flatly. The lack of acting seemed to please Alex. “No, you made me a promise.” “I did no such thing.” “Jack said that—” “Jack was a mask. A fabrication so I could manipulate you. He said whatever I needed him to say to keep you close to him.” “You promised that you’d love me f—” “I did not.” “You promised it on the Defender!” The human said that like it should mean something. He could kill him. There was no one to see. He could just make him disappear. Only someone had seen their interaction in the tavern. Someone would tell Jacoby of Alex’s interest in him, if he didn’t already know. That human was more perceptive than most, and he’d wonder that Alex had vanished while heading to Tech’s home. He’d just have to wait him out. He slammed the door shut and went back to his workroom to continue his work. * * * * * He was thirsty, that was why he was in the kitchen, filling a glass with water. That it had a window that let him look out by the entrance, where Alex had seated himself, the case on one side, a small shoulder pack on the other, looking at the door. He drank the water and back to his work. * * * * * He was thirsty again. And Alex was still seated, watching the door. * * * * * This time he’d detoured by the kitchen on his way to the bathroom from all the water he’d been drinking. Alex was still there. * * * * * When he went back to the kitchen, it was with the purpose of checking on Alex. He hated that he’d lied to himself the previous times as to his motivation. Tristan wasn’t someone who needed to fool himself into doing things. He always knew what he wanted and did just that. And this time he wanted to know if the human was still stubbornly waiting for something that would never happen. He was surprised that he wasn’t there. He’d taken his pack and the case and left. Tristan went and opened the door, just in case Alex had noticed him, and moved somewhere the kitchen window couldn’t see, but no, he was not there. Not even by the door to his workroom. The human had given up. Tristan felt some disappointment. He’d expected more of someone who had managed to track him down all the way here. He’d taken it to mean this new Alex was more resilient than the old one had been. Since he was already here, he grabbed a ration pack from the cabinet and ate that with a glass of water. A memory surfaced. He’d cooked Alanian Stew, or the closest he’d managed with the available ingredients on the planet he’d been. He hadn’t made stew since. There was no point to it, it was a remnant of his time with his father. Something dead and gone, just as Alex should have realized Jack was. Once done he went back to work. He’d identified the problem in the capacitor to a flaw in its design, if any soldiers pushed the power past fifteen point three, the weapon would fail and explode. Based on his calculations, the resulting explosion would kill the soldier holding the rifle, as well as anyone within a two feet radius. If he wanted to use it at full power, all he’d need to do was replace the capacitor. He’d already found a compatible design, and he could get the components he’d need to make it from Alric in the morning. * * * * * When he went to the kitchen this time, it was because he was thirsty, so he hadn’t expected to see Alex in the dying sunlight as he glanced out, but that’s exactly who he’d seen, back to sitting in front of the door. Tristan had gone to the door and had it opened before he’d considered what he was doing. Alex had begun to stand and Tristan had caught the scents hanging around him, and slammed the door shut again. Meats, vegetables and ale, Orfvil’s homebrew and his wife’s cooking. Alex had gone to town to eat. He hadn’t given up. Tristan was torn. He did want him gone, but knowing he had resolve pleased him, a little. * * * * * The next morning, Alex was still there, sleeping curled up against the door and Tristan left for his run. As usual he caught sight of Joanifer at her window looking at him, as usual, he acted as if he didn’t know. When he came back Alex was still sleeping, and Tristan considered it would be a perfect time to get rid of him, break his neck, take him to the wood, or the escarpment and throw him down there. Who’d be able to tell when the broken neck had happened. But Jacoby wouldn’t take it for granted. Like Tristan, he was a man experienced in judging people, he could tell Alex had experience as a mercenary, so why would he have gone somewhere as dangerous as the escarpment? And it would make him look into Tech. This mask survived because no one looked at him too closely. Yes, Orfvil like to prod, but it was a game they played and he laughed at the answer Tech gave. He’d never think to really search as to what Tech was working on. Tech was simply another person living here. It was the only way Tech could remain. Alex was awake the first time Tristan checked on him, he didn’t leave to have breakfast, and as Tristan checked on him throughout the morning, the human looked barely awake. As lunchtime approached Tristan found himself with a problem. He couldn’t allow Alex to remain here. The human might get it in his head to attempt to gain access to his house, and trigger his security measures. Tristan wasn’t ready to lose everything accumulated in his years here to a nosy human who thought he knew how to bypass a lock. He opened the door and looked down at the human. He still looked pitiful, but Alex’s face hardened as their eyes met. “You’re going to go have lunch,” Tristan said. “I’m not leaving.” Tristan grabbed him by the collar and pulled him up until his feet left the ground. “You will leave. You will abandon this idea I am someone else and you will go live your life elsewhere. That is a certainty you need to accept. But right now, you are going to go to Diny’s Tavern and eat lunch. You can return after that, but you are going to go there, now.” He placed the human down and crossed his arms over his chest. It took Alex a moment to gather himself, then he picked up his things and headed to town. Tristan gave him ten minutes, then headed to eat. He talked with Joanifer as they always did, although she seemed more interested in who Alex might be than his running around nude. Tristan didn’t mind that since he still played at not knowing who he was. He left before Alex was done and set to work reading the latest report on the Alcatraz class of freighter. His fabrication of a capacitor for the RJ-23 would have to wait until Alex had given up. * * * * * The next day it was raining when Tristan left for his run. It was a cold rain and he figured that if he could feel it through his fur, Alex had to be freezing. The human was shivering so badly Tristan heard his teeth chatter before he saw him. Alex glanced up at him, but only looked miserable, there was no anger or even lust on seeing him naked. It rained all day, but as it tended to do at this time of the year, it warmed up enough that by the time lunch came, Alex was only soaked, and no longer miserable. Maybe he could drown him? The bottom of the escarpment also became muddy and developed sinkholes. Anyone could believe a visiting human might decide to go explore them and fall into one, to only reappear once the water drained out after a few days. No, no, they wouldn’t. Not even Cornelius would believe that, and she firmly believed that humans were capable of all sort of impossible things. At least he hadn’t had to tell Alex to go eat. He’d done so by himself. * * * * * The rain lasted two full days. Cold through the night, and warm in the day. The human would get sick. He’d die of exposure. That would take care of the situation. Who could question someone who spent their time outside dying of it? Of course it would raise the questions of why Alex had sat in front of his doorstep all this time. Tristan decided that he’d continue to play innocent if that happened. * * * * * Alex didn’t die. By the fifth day sitting there he looked like he belonged in one of those shows about people heading to uninhabitable planets to live off the land. Tristan was more than willing to let this continue, until Virden came to his workroom to get his tractor’s power generator repaired. “Look,” the man said, as Tristan disconnected the coupling from the generator, “I don’t mean to butt in something that’s none of my business.” Tristan made a noncommittal noise as he undid the bolts attaching the generator to the tractor. “But isn’t he a friend of yours? How come he looks like you’re having him sleep in the shed? And why is he sitting there? I mean it’s none of my business, but is this really how you treat him?” Friends? They thought they were friends? What had either done to give that impression? Or had Alex told Jacoby something? Tristan hadn’t spoken to the man. Unless he was heading off planet, he didn’t have a need to. He placed Tech’s mask on his face as he looked over the generator and smiled. “It’s something of a dare. He kept saying how tough he was, you know, living the life.” Virden gave him a blank look. “Being a merc. It makes people tough and he said he’d prove it to me.” “And you let him?” “I…” “Look, Tech, you don’t let a friend do something that stupid, just say you believe him and move past whatever this bet is.” Tech looked at the human seated in front of the door. “I guess we did get carried away.” “You think?” Tech patted the generator. “Give me two days, I’ll have this fixed up and reconnected.” “There’s no rush, you have a friend to entertain.” “Excuse me?” Virden gave him a knowing smile. “Come on, you never have anyone over, and the one time you do, he feels the need to prove to you just how tough he is. I don’t know how it goes for Samalians, but among humans, it’s a clear sign he’s interested in…you know.” Tech’s ears turned red. “I…well…I think…” Virden grined. “I’ll be back in a week, you two have fun.” He disconnected the trailer from his hover and headed out. Tristan dropped the mask as he glared at Alex’s back. Fun wasn’t likely to happen, but it was clear this couldn’t continue. He jumped down from the tractor and headed for the house door and opened it. “Get in,” He told Alex. The human looked up at him, confused. “Now!” Tristan ordered.