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The Lunar Life Ch. 01

By: musicfreak



Note: This story does not revolve around a quick sex scene, so if thats what you're looking for, this story isn't right for you.

Hi guys, I'm back with a new story. This will be slightly different from my other stories and I hope you give it a shot. As always, all feedback positive or constructive criticism are accepted. 

There will be a total of 11 chapters in the series, and they all should be coming out within the next 2 weeks. Enjoy.

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Will looked across the forest laid out before him as he took a deep breath, inhaling the woody aroma of spruce and pine. He sighed in content as he took a seat on the hill he was standing on. Sunlight streaked across the treetops, rays of light catching on the slight mist that blanketed the forest, mingling between the leaves. Besides the slight rustling of leaves caused by the artificial breeze, all was quiet. Some might find the stillness of the forest a little unsettling, but Will relished it. After all, the only thing bad that could happen in this forest was tripping and getting a cut or two. It was probably the safest forest you could have ever been in.

Will loved coming to the forest, a change of scenery from the normal futuristic and metallic environment that was his city, Lunaris. State of the art and almost completely automated, nature just didn't fit in amidst the electrical gadgetry. 

Will gazed across the treetops, the forest continuing a couple of miles before coming to an abrupt end, a wall of glass preventing any further advancement of the plant life. The glass of the dome, almost completely flawless except for a few obvious scratches, stretched over the entirety of the forest, encasing it in a controlled environment for optimum growth and health. Will stared out at the darkness of space just beyond the glass, seeing Earth looming in the background. This Earth however, didn't have the blue seas and green lands that Will learnt of in his studies, instead replaced by a planet with whitewashed land masses and frozen oceans; a mass graveyard for the billions of people not fortunate enough to be chosen for Lunaris. 

The year was 89 P.M. or post migration. 89 years after the mass migration of human civilization to Lunaris, the city on the moon. A colony that spread across the entire surface of the moon with the sole purpose of preserving human existence. To prevent the extinction of the human race. 

It was the year 2057 when the migration took place, but preparations started three years prior. Rising global temperatures were what prompted the development, although it was a massive volcanic eruption that set it into overdrive. Operations and developments were spearheaded by the Highland corporation, a company that specialized in research and development of all types of fields, from medical advancements to mechanical engineering. Their main focus however was gene therapy or genetic modification. For three years, infrastructures were set up on the moon, mass transport crafts built to ferry the people to their new home. The greatest minds in the world pooled their assets and worked for the highland corporation, for the greater good of the human race. 

Two months before the migration, that was when mount Poruvia erupted. Nobody could have anticipated it. Mount Poruvia basically appeared overnight, somewhere along the pacific and although little was known about the new volcano, it was really active. It was no later than a week after its formation that the eruption occurred, the biggest in recorded history. The ash plume was so big, sunlight was blocked out in most parts of the world, causing temperatures to drop due to the decreased sunlight. Ironic how all this was in preparation of rising temperatures but dropping temperatures was what it was for in the end. 

Of course, not everyone on Earth could be brought to Lunaris due to limited resources. It was decided that only the genetically superior, people possessing genes with favorable characteristics that were to be chosen. Genes that would benefit the human race should the need for repopulation of the Earth come around. Genes coding for increased immunity, physical endurance and mental capacity to name a few. Controversial as it may be, people with any medical condition, past or present, were excluded immediately while family trees that possessed none were required to undergo genetic testing. There were, of course, the rich who thought that they could buy their way onto Lunaris, but with the Highland corporation solely in charge of determining a person's eligibility and money not being high on their list, these bribes were denied. 

A total of 700 million people made the journey to the moon, while the rest of the world were left to die on the freezing planet. There were some backlash on Highland's methods but after all that the company had done, these were few and far between. Most understood and accepted fate as it came. The lucky people who got chosen settled into their new life on Lunaris, with the Highland corporation as a sort of government.

Life on Lunaris could be called a utopia so to speak. Crime is non-existent, everyone is afforded whatever is necessary for a comfortable life and, although laws and rules are abundant, are all mostly for the good of the entire colony. Some might say such a life is ideal, but others want more than that. William 'Will' Harrison was one of those people. 

A third generation Lunarision, all he knew was life on Lunaris. Sure, he was comfortable with his life, but he never felt connected to the place. He always felt that the more automated Lunaris became, the more unfeeling Lunarisions became, more like machines than humans. That was why he liked coming to the forest. It was a place he could escape the machines and see how nature was, to make him feel human again. 

Will closed his eyes, enjoying the time he could do this, for it wasn't long before he knew he would no longer be able to. His 21st birthday was coming in two days and it was time for him to become a contributing member of the colony. It was mandatory for everyone on Lunaris to get a proper education, a good fourteen years of time to get a fair amount of knowledge, starting when the child reaches the age of seven.

The first seven years of education are spent with theory of everything and anything. Everything you needed to know about every job and facet of life on Lunaris was taught through a system called the cognitive knowledge transfer or CKT. It was a very efficient method, basically turning humans into computers. Electrodes transfer huge amounts of information through nerves, which are then converted to images within the student's brain. During the process, drugs are pumped into the body, improving cognitive functions, which helps the brain cope with the huge amounts of information. 

The next seven years are hands on. With the theory and knowledge, students are tasked to put their knowledge to use in a practical environment. Under the guidance of teachers of various vocations, students are taught the ins and outs of every job on Lunaris. From musician to healthcare worker, jobs are classified as either sustaining or preserving. Sustaining jobs helped the colony function while preserving jobs are there to preserve human culture and history. After fourteen years, before you're 21st birthday, a test was taken assessing a students affinity for any specific job, skills and talents all contributing to the final decision of integration on Lunaris. 

A test that Will had just completed that morning, so a trip to the forest seemed just about right for him. He needed to get his mind off the prospect that this was the time for him to become an adult. The time that he needed to start thinking about the good of the colony rather than goofing off every now and then. To get over the anxiety of not knowing what job he would be stuck with for the rest of his life. 

Will was never one to follow the path laid out in front of him, always wanting to find out more, learn new things, change things up every now and then; A personality trait that didn't fit in the order and conformity that was Lunaris. However, no matter how much Will wanted life to be more carefree and unscripted, he knew that things worked as they were and thinking that it was going to change was foolish. Yeah, he may not have liked the idea that he would soon fall into the monotony of work, but he needed to do what he needed to do. 

As he lay on the hill with his eyes closed, it somehow didn't feel like he was on a moon. Everything from the smell to the sounds, nothing seemed to fit the silence and emptiness that was space. 

"Echo!!!" The voice reverberated within the dome, echoing and disrupting the peace that Will was enjoying. A frown graced his features, annoyed that someone had to spoil his alone time. 

"Seriously?" Will whispered, popping an eye open, scanning for the source of the voice. Sure the person had every right to be there, but no one ever came to the forest. Everyone was simply too busy with anything else to bother about something as insignificant as visiting the dome forest. Will was conflicted however, half wanting the person to leave and the other half, curious as to why there was someone else there besides him, because countless times Will had visited the place, and not once had he encountered anyone. 

"Hello!!!" The voice echoed once more, the tone of glee in his voice was unmistakable. Curiosity bubbled within Will, wondering if he had finally found someone who shared his love for the forest. He sat up, scanning the area around him for the unknown source. It didn't sound too far away but the echoing didn't help Will pinpoint the direction the shout came from. What Will did have however, was a good vantage point. He scanned down the hill, finally seeing the figure standing a couple hundred feet away looking out to the forest. 

Will observed and took in the person in front of him. The guy was pretty big, approximately 6'2" with broad shoulders that narrowed down to his waist. His short brown hair was neatly combed back in a nice quiff and his clothes hugged his figure in a way that was only possible if it was tailored for him. As the guy looked at the world before him, Will caught a glimpse of his face. Even from that distance, Will knew the guy was handsome, unusually more than what should be normal. A thought ran through Will's mind as to the reason, but dismissed it from how absurd it sounded to him. Still, his curiosity was peaked, and he couldn't help himself pushing off the floor and heading in the direction of this stranger. 

"Hey!" Will shouted, attracting the attention of the handsome stud. The guy turned in surprised, not expecting for anyone else to be there. Thane Hopper watched as Will made his way down the hill, taking in the appearance of the man walking towards him. With a somewhat slim build, Will was just another Lunarision who most people wouldn't have noticed. At roughly 6' tall, his black hair and mixed Caucasian-Asian look was common and uninteresting on Lunaris, but still, Will caught Thane's eye. With his green eyes and small nose, his fringe coming down just above his eyebrows in a side-swept fashion, Will had a cute look that intrigued Thane. 

"Hi." Thane replied, giving a small wave to Will. "I didn't know anyone ever came here."

"Well that was what I was thinking. I've been here many times and this is the first time I've ever seen anyone." Will said, staring intently at the stranger's face. Will examined the perfect curves and angles of Thane's face. His almost silver eyes were striking, coupled with lush lips and a strong jaw that looked so perfect in every way. "So...you uh...come here often?"

"Actually it's my first time." Thane said, feeling somewhat uncomfortable under Will's gaze. He had inkling as to why Will was staring though, it was basically written on his face. 

"Hmm, so you're a natal?" Will asked. 

"Um yeah, why would you think otherwise?" Thane replied, trying to keep as calm as possible. Surely this person wouldn't guess that he was an elite right? He didn't even know why he was so scared that this person knew he was elite. What did it matter anyway?

"Hmm, maybe because you don't look like a natal. I could've sworn you're an elite." Will said, raising an eyebrow. "But then again, why would an elite come down to the forest? Surely they have much more important things to attend to. Plus, why would an elite degrade himself by identifying as a natal?" Will probed, watching for any reaction from the man in front of him.

Lunaris basically had two separate classes, namely elites and natals. Natals were like Will, normal, working class citizens of Lunaris. Natals were born as per how normal humans reproduce. A natural conception if you would call it that. Natals were brought up as normal children would be, and educated through the CKT system, who eventually worked on Lunaris. Natal spouses however, were still paired based on genetic compatibility, having parents from vastly different gene pools. A method to increase genetic variation and decrease the risk of inbreeding and mutations. That reason was why many pairings were between different races, and hence why Will's mixed look was common on Lunaris. 

Elites however, weren't as simple; they were the cream of the crop. Originally, elites comprised of the best of the best in all fields known to man, most of whom were already working for the Highland corporation prior to the migration. It wasn't debated upon, knowing who better to lead Lunaris than the brightest and greatest of the human species. As the years passed and the elites got older, new generations of elites had to be made, and that's what they did. 

With the greatest minds working together, advancements in genetic modification grew at an exponential rate. Elites started making babies, combining all the best genes from the human species and basically producing perfect humans. Elite children still required genes from two parents, although their genes were altered to include the best alleles. Unlike test tube babies of the past however, the embryos were grown in a growth chamber rather than a surrogate mother.

Elite children however, were not educated the same way natals were. The same CKT system was used, although their learning was more focused. Learning was directed towards the same field that their parents specialized in, learning every aspect of both their parent's trades. Their fields were decided from the beginning, and everything was done to make them the best at that specific field. All in all, creating a perfect successor. 

"Oh I look like an elite? That's quite a compliment." Thane replied, growing nervous at Will's probing. 

"Just drop the act. There is no way you're a natal. An elite is unmistakable, even though I have never met one, until now I guess." Will said, looking away from the handsome stranger in front of him. 

Knowing the facade was over, Thane didn't bother trying to convince Will. "Sorry, I didn't mean to lie. Elites are sometimes not well received by natals." 

"Well, it's kind of an inferior complex kind of thing I guess. We want to believe that we're all the same, but we know otherwise." Will said.

"Please don't think that we are better than you. We are all humans after all. I know that's what a lot of natals think of elites."

"Yeah we do, but only because it's true. I mean that's kinda what elites are supposed to be right. If you guys were the same as us then what's the whole point of having a class system. It's not even you're fault. You didn't ask to be made perfect." Will said, looking out at the forest again. 

"We're not perfect." 

"Yeah right. You guys are as perfect as humanly possible. Insanely smart, impossibly athletic and look like you guys were carved from marble. I mean have you seen yourself in the mirror? You're like a walking statue of a god." Will said. He didn't know why he was talking the way he was. A natal didn't talk to an elite like that. Elites were to be respected, and arguing with one wasn't considered respectful. 

"You think I look good?" Thane asked, disrupting Will's train of thought. Realizing that he may have crossed a line he wasn't supposed to, Will quickly apologized. 

"Sorry, didn't mean to talk like that. It was out of line."

"No, don't apologize. It's refreshing having someone who just treats me like a person. You have no idea the expectations that are put upon me. It's exhausting at times. That's why I came here in the first place, to forget all the shit that is expected of me. I just want to live a simple life." Thane said, dropping down onto the ground

"Hmm, can't say I understand what you're going through but I can imagine. As a natal you don't really have much expectations. You just do as you're told. I guess elites have a lot more pressure, what with needing to lead Lunaris and all." Will said, taking a seat beside Thane. 

Thane chuckled, shaking his head. "Okay well, I came here to forget my worries. I'm Thane by the way." He said, stretching out his hand. Will returned the handshake, introducing himself. "So Will, based on you're looks I'm guessing you're about 21? I'm assuming you haven't taken the test yet, or you wouldn't have time to be here now would you."

"Actually I just took the test this morning. I needed to clear my head after that."

"Really, why?"

"I just don't like the idea of being stuck with what the test says for the rest of my life. I don't like the idea of monotony, never had, never will."

"Well what I wouldn't give for some monotony. Seems like I'm more a natal and you're more of an elite." Thane laughed, looking out across the treetops. "So, have you ever been to the other forest domes?"

"Nah. I know there are but I think I would prefer this to the wet rainforest. Besides, those are across the moon." 

"Well I can't argue with that. You know, these forest domes provide most of the oxygen for Lunaris. The domes are spread across the moon to maximize the available sunlight that shines on the moon at any one time. A technological marvel combining technology and botany." Thane said, smiling. 

"Yeah I know. When they teach us everything about Lunaris, they really mean everything." Will laughed. 

"Oh right." Thane said, blushing a deep shade of red. 

"What do you specialize in anyway? If you don't mind me asking." Will asked, looking to the hunk beside him. Will knew he found Thane attractive but kept it in check. Homosexuality wasn't frowned upon from a morality standpoint, but unacceptable in the grand scheme of things. The main reason anyone was on Lunaris, was to one day repopulate the earth. That couldn't happen between two males. So Will knew it was best if he kept his preference on the down low. 

"Electrical engineering and psychology." Thane replied. 

"Wow talk about different ends of the spectrum." 

"Yeah well, my dad's an electrical genius and my mom's a world class shrink. It kinda comes with the package."

"I see, so I guess you're an expert on the human psyche then?"

"Well I wouldn't say expert, but I can definitely read some people."

"What about me? Can you read me?"

"You're a little hard to read, but I'm seeing a lot of a suppressed rebellious side to you. I also sense that you're the quiet sufferer, keeping your problems to yourself and braving them rather than seeking help from others. Independent in a way." Thane said. 

"Okay, you're good." Will said, chuckling a little. 

"Like how you're kicking yourself over your attraction to me." Will's laughter ceased immediately and turned his wide-eyed stare to Thane. "You're angry that you're feeling attraction to another guy and yet scared that someone would find out. Scared that an elite...would find out." Will visibly swallowed the lump in his throat. He didn't know what to feel. 


The Lunar Life Ch. 01



"Umm, I don't find you attractive." Will choked out. 

"It's okay Will, I'm not one of those anti homo types. In fact, the feeling is mutual." If Will's eyes weren't already bulging, they would have doubled in size. "I did say that not all elites were perfect." Thane smirked. 

"Whoa wait..." Will started but was cut off by an annoying beeping. 

It was Thane's BIC. A biologically integrated communicator or BIC was a watch-like device that was imbedded into the wrist of every Lunarision. The BIC connected to the blood vessels within the wrist, able to monitor the wearers vitals. Apart from its medical uses, the BIC was also a communicator, much like a mobile phone. "Looks like business calls." Thane said, shaking his beeping wrist. "It was nice meeting you Will. Maybe I'll see you again some day." He said, getting up and shooting one last smirk at Will. 

"Uh, yeah sure." Will replied stupidly, watching as Thane ran off to the exit. He wasn't sure what to make of what just happened. He thought it was surreal that an elite had just said he felt attraction with Will, a natal of all people, and more shocking than that, was that the elite was a guy. The thought that maybe it was a joke crossed his mind, that maybe it was a common thing for elites to play pranks on unsuspecting natals. Will did know one thing though, and that was that he would probably never see Thane again. 

Elites and natals just didn't coexist in the way you think they would. 21 years on Lunaris and it was the first time Will had ever encountered an elite. The boundaries were clear and somehow everyone was okay with that. Elites could sometimes come across as intimidating to many natals, and elites on the other hand, didn't feel like they could connect with natals on a personal level. It was neither of their faults, just that both sects didn't understand each other.

After trying to wrap his mind around the encounter with Thane, Will tried to put it behind him, trying to forget whatever was said. A part of him was scared that he had been exposed, and it was just a matter of time before elites came after him to eliminate the gay from the colony, but he rationalized that he never actually said anything that incriminated him in anyway. He didn't say that he was gay. Still though, the fear was there, but he knew only time would tell if anything would come out from it.

Will looked to his BIC and saw the time, noticing that it was getting late and his parents should be wondering about his whereabouts. He exited the dome and immediately the sounds of the city returned to his ears. Goodbye to the peace of the forest, and hello to the bustle of city life. Will stuck his hands into his pockets, making his way to the tram that was the primary means of transport around Lunaris. 

Looking at the world around him, he noticed the different groups of people going about their own business. He looked at the natals who walked by, some carrying crates of paint, others working away at woodcarvings. The area surrounding the forest was predominantly where the preserving jobs were located, especially those that required wood from the forest. Naturally, carpenters and painters set up their businesses in the area.

Will wondered if this was where he would be placed, whether he would be posted to a sustaining or preserving job. He didn't even know which he preferred. He liked the idea of a preserving job, to tie him to human history and heritage, but he was never really good at those kinds of stuff. A sustaining job made him feel like he could contribute more but still it didn't seem right to him. He felt like he didn't fit in anywhere.

As he stepped onto the tram, he looked out the window, watching as the tram shot down the track towards his house. His eyes watched the screens atop the glass buildings, some showing news of events happening around Lunaris while others showing ads and trivia about the city. Will rolled his eyes at the obvious propaganda tactic but couldn't do anything other than ignore it. 

Once or twice, President Dart's face would appear on a screen before fading out to the Lunaris logo. President Everett Dart was the top gun so to speak, the overall in charge of all the workings of Lunaris. It was a rumor that he used to be CEO of Highland Corporation, but most people dismissed it as that would make him almost two centuries old. Still, most wondered why President Dart didn't look like he ever aged. He, of course was an elite, but he didn't have the perfect look that most elites had. He still looked human, flaws and all, but it's just another conspiracy theory.

When the tram came to a standstill at his stop, he stepped off. He looked off in the distance and could see the city centre looming in the background. Tall buildings painted the skyline, with one in particular, The Spire as it was called, towering over the rest. The structure was so tall it pierced the ceiling of the dome, leading to a small glass orb that hovered over the entire city. The residence of President Dart. The city centre was where most of the elites lived, a place where most natals never stepped foot into.

Will walked down the path, seeing identical houses to his left and right. Most natals lived in the same type of accommodations, basically a moderately sized two-story apartment, comfortable for an occupancy of four. These houses were concentrated in residential areas, the idea being to foster a feeling of community, but with most natals busy working a lot of times, the idea was just that, an idea. Will for one, hardly saw any of his neighbors, let alone talked to them.

He arrived at his front door, which was a slab of reinforced glass, the usual doorknob and lock nowhere to be seen. Will waved his BIC in front of the door, which beeped once before sliding open, closing once he stepped through it. "Mom, Dad, I'm home!" Will shouted out, his voice carrying through the house.

"We're in the Kitchen dear. Dinner's about ready." He heard his mother reply. Will made the familiar way to the kitchen, seeing his father at the table with eyes focused on the table top, a news article displayed across the interactive glass interface. His father shot him a quick smile before returning to his news while Will's mom got dinner ready. 

Trevor Harrison was a man in his late fifties. Despite his young age though, grey streaks painted the sides of his otherwise brown hair, making him look older than he actually was. Sarah Harrison was different though, although the same age as Trevor, looked a lot younger than her age. With her Asian blood, she had classic black hair, which was passed down to Will.

"So what's for dinner?" Will asked, walking up behind his mother, looking over her shoulders to the pot of mash potatoes on the conduction stove. "Hmm, smells good." 

"There is chicken too if you're wondering." His mother said as Will took a seat beside his father.

"Oh really? Real chicken or synthetic." Will asked, raising an eyebrow at his mother. All food on Lunaris was synthetic, manufactured in a factory somewhere from basic components like protein, carbohydrates and such. In the beginning, food was grown as it would have been on earth but after awhile, they realized that the yield from growing crops and farming animals weren't high enough to sustain Lunaris, hence the current method of synthetic food.

"Don't ask stupid questions Will." Sarah scolded, which Will simply chuckled at.

"So how was the test today?" Trevor asked his son.

"You know, same as any other CKT session. Didn't really remember what happened in the test though." Will replied, recalling the test that morning.

"Yeah well it's like that. No one ever remembers what happens in the test. Most people think we're made to forget what happens so we can't tell anyone who hasn't already taken the test, anything about it." 

"Hmm makes sense, I mean if it's supposed to be unbiased and everything."

"Yeah well, what do you hope to get though?" His father asked.

"Honestly Dad, I really don't know. I mean, I don't think I fit in anywhere to be truthful."

"Oh honey, don't worry. I felt that way when I was younger too, but when I became a nurse, I realized that it just fit me." Sarah said, bringing a couple plates to the table, laying one in front of Will. "Ok Trev, time for dinner." She said, swiping the articles across the table, which disappeared at the edge of the glass.

"Hey I was still reading that." Trevor whined, before Sarah put a plate down in front of him. 

"Eat now, you can read again later." Will chuckled at his parent's antics. He knew that natal spouses were paired based on genetic compatibility, and many of them never really fell in love with each other. He was lucky that his parents actually did though; he could see how much his parents loved each other. 

"So anyway, I'm assuming you went to the forest again after the test just now." Trevor asked, taking a spoonful of potatoes. Will nodded in response.

"Will, I don't like you going there. You might get hurt." Sarah said, worry etched into her features. She had never liked the fact that Will frequented the forest, although she knew that she couldn't do anything to prevent it from happening. 

"C'mon now Sarah. You and I both know that there is nothing dangerous in that forest. Besides, he has Harrison blood in him, I think my son can handle himself if push comes to shove." Trevor said.

"Yeah Mom, it's fine. Anyway, I won't have time to go there much after my posting anyway." Will defended himself.

"And for that I'm glad. And you," She said, pointing a finger at Trevor. "You need to stop encouraging him. You are the tough animal handler, not Will." Trevor worked as an animal handler on Lunaris, one of the more physical jobs you could find. Not too long ago, the environment domes were filled with wildlife from earth, to keep their species viable as well. Trevor was an animal handler whose job was to ensure the upkeep of these animals, as well as to keep any visitors, mostly the occasional scientist, safe while they were inside. They were something akin to a park ranger.

However, a couple of incidents involving animal attacks made it clear that free roaming animals in these domes were not safe. Hence, the decision was made to house all these animals in a sort of stasis. Animal handlers like Trevor no longer needed to patrol the domes and take care of animals in the wild. They were however converted into a somewhat veterinary kind of job, instead looking after the well being of these creatures that were stuck in suspended animation. 

"He may be, you never know. For all we know he may become an animal handler too." Trevor said.

"Yeah...no. Sorry Dad, but animals just aren't my thing. The time I interned for that job was a disaster." Will said, shaking his head at the memory of it.

"Well a man can hope can't he?" 

"Well whatever you get, I'm sure you'll do fine." Sarah said, patting Will on the shoulder.

"I hope so Mom." Even with all the assurance from his parents however, Will just didn't feel comfortable with the whole situation. He felt that something was off, and he couldn't tell what it was. He chalked it up to him just being nervous about getting a final job and left it at that.

"So anyway, anything interesting happened at the forest today?" Trevor asked, looking expectantly at his son.

"Actually yeah." Trevor looked shocked for a moment, not expecting that answer. So many times he had asked the same questions, more a formality than anything, and always had he heard the same answer. 'Same old, same old.'

"Care to elaborate?"

"Well, I met an elite." Will said.

"An elite, really? A scientist? They don't usually go there anymore." Trevor asked, his interest peaked. Even Sarah seemed a little more curious.

"No actually. He was kinda my age I guess. Said he was there to clear his head or something. Funny thing was, he actually thought he could fool me into thinking he was a natal."

"Wait, he tried to pass off as a natal?" Sarah asked, to which Will nodded in return. "That's strange, I've never met an elite who said anything close to that." 

"Do you meet a lot of them?" Will asked.

"Quite a few. A lot of them come to the hospital to help treat some of the more serious patients. You know, all the smart medical types." Sarah replied.

"So what are they like in general?" Sarah shot a curious look at Will, wondering why her son was so interested in the topic.

"They come with all sorts of personalities, much like natals. Why are you so interested anyway?" She probed. Will blushed when he realized he may have come off a little too enthusiastic.

"Oh no reason. It was just the first time I had met an elite and, I don't know, he was kinda weird." Will said, leaving out any other details that he felt shouldn't be said.

"Well you may just find them weird because you don't interact with many of them. They behave a little differently from everyone else. Maybe it has something to do with the authority that they carry." Sarah said, returning to her meal.

"Hmm, maybe." Will said. That was what was bothering Will though. Thane wasn't different. Will was surprised at how easy it was to talk to Thane, even if they were supposed to be really different, and authority wasn't something he felt when he spoke with Thane. One thing was for sure though, meeting Thane had stirred something up in Will. Something that set off his intrigue and curiosity. Will's desire to learn more about elites had been kindled.



The Lunar Life Ch. 02



Will cracked open his eyes from the irritating buzzing coming from his left wrist. Groaning, he brought his right index finger over his BIC and swiped it across, causing the device to stop vibrating. The thought of crawling back to sleep crossed his mind, but he knew that the idea wasn't wise. He had already snoozed his BIC twice that morning and he wasn't thrilled at the idea of ignoring it for a third time. There was no fooling the little device, fall back asleep after the second alarm and it jolts you awake with an electrical shock to your system. A very unpleasant thing to start your day with, but also meant that Lunarisions were hardly late for anything. 

Will ran a hand over his face, wiping the sleep from his eyes. A day that would normally bring someone joy, was filling him with insane amounts of dread. It was Will's 21st birthday. The day that he got his posting and started his first day of work. In Will's mind however, it also meant the end of his carefree life. He was now an adult.

Will forced himself to sit up, looking out the window of his room to the right. He brought his hand to his bedside table, pushing a button, which caused the tint of the window to slowly fade, allowing the light to shine through without a filter. Heaving a sigh, he pulled the covers off him and made his way to his bathroom to get ready for the big day. Will dressed in a loose fitting shirt layered over a cotton tank top, coupled with a cream colored pair of chinos. It was common knowledge to dress comfortably on your first day, as you never know what kind of job you would be placed in. Wouldn't want to walk into a carpenter's workshop in a shirt and tie.

As Will headed down to the kitchen, the smell of pancakes filled the house. "I guess I should have known." Will announced, walking into his kitchen where his mother was at the stove. 

"Known what?" Sarah asked, not taking her eyes off the pan in front of her.

"That you'll make my favorite breakfast." Will said, coming behind his mother and wrapping his arms around her neck. "Thanks Mom, smells great."

"Anything for my birthday boy." She said, smiling up at Will.

"Happy 21st son. You're officially an adult now." Trevor remarked, sipping his cup of coffee. 

"Don't remind me Dad." Will groaned, letting go of his mother and turning to his father. 


"Just telling it like it is. Still worried?" Trevor asked.

"A little, yeah." 

"Just take it in your stride. The test is pretty accurate, scarily so sometimes. It knows what you'll excel at, even if you don't yourself." Trevor said, bringing up the news on the table interface. 

"I hope so." He was however, not just worried about what job he was going to get, but if he could survive doing that job for the rest of his life. That part was the real problem in Will's mind. All worry was gone however, the moment his mother came over with a tower of pancakes, placing them on the table in front of Will. He dove into the pile, fishing pancakes onto his plates. For now, he was contempt to lose himself in his mother's delicious cooking. 

"So when's the results coming out." Sarah asked, taking a seat beside Will. With his mouth stuffed with pancakes, he looked to his watch.

"In around an hour." Will mumbled with his mouth full. Sarah gave her son a look of slight disgust as food bits flew out of his mouth, before chuckling and shaking her head. Will shrugged his shoulders but continued his ravage of his food, disregarding his mother's disapproval.

As the Harrisons ate breakfast, they spoke about plans for the future. With Will now going to work, the prospect that he would soon be moving out was just beyond the horizon. Of course it all depended on where Will was to work. If he worked halfway across the moon, it was certain that elites would have him relocated to reduce his travel time. Even if he worked nearby though, they would soon put him in a home of his own so he could one day settle down and start a family, something that Will wasn't sure if he could do, what with hiding his sexuality and all. Still, priority was knowing his posting.

Will sat in the living room, watching the screen in front of him but not really paying attention. His mind was too preoccupied with the device on his wrist. Any minute now, his BIC would receive his results, and he had to report to work for his first day. Will's parents sat in the other room, knowing that Will probably wanted some alone time. 

Will let his mind wander as he stared at his BIC, observing the edge of the strap, which dug slightly into his skin, wondering if it hurt when they put it on when he was a baby. The material it was made of was part biological, growing with the wearer as he grew. He shared a love hate relationship with his BIC however, as with most people on Lunaris. A part of him was fascinated by the device and always thinking about new practical uses for it that had yet to be developed, and other times he hated how he couldn't get rid of it even if he wanted to and how annoying it was at times. If you were crazy enough, you could try ripping it off, but you'll have probably bled to death before you could get to the nearest medical facility, since the device integrated with your blood vessels.

Vibrations knocked Will from his thoughts as the screen on his BIC flashed. His results were in. Will stared at the lighted screen for a few moments, composing his suddenly thumping heart, unsure why he was so nervous about it. With one last deep breath, Will put a finger to the screen, opening the message. A voice message started to play from the watch.

"This is an automated message in accordance with the Lunarision labor law." The female automated voice recited. "After receiving your posting, you are required to head to your reporting centre immediately. Directions will be forwarded to your BIC and you are to follow the designated route. Failure to do so will result in disciplinary action." Will noticed movement to his left and turned to see his parents standing by the kitchen entrance, shooting him an encouraging look. "Vocation test results for...William Harrison, Lunaris ID 865-412-988-A. Occupation...Inconclusive. You are to report to...Helios Grove, 435 Treser Lane. Congratulations on your new posting. This message was brought to you by the Lunaris Education Council." The message cut off.

Will stared at his BIC in confusion. "What? What's my job? Inconclusive?" Will turned to his parents, who shared his confused look. "What does that mean?" 

"I don't know. I've never heard of anyone who didn't get an answer." Trevor said, stepping forward towards his son. 

"Maybe there was some error." Sarah suggested, trying to figure out the extremely bizarre situation. 

"Directions to Helios Grove, 435 Treser Lane." Will's BIC announced again as directions were pushed to his device. 

"Well seems like it's time for you to go. Maybe the people there might be able to explain. Just go there and maybe then everything would be clear." Trevor raised a hand, patting his son on his shoulder. 

"I guess." Will said, giving his father a hug. At the sight, Sarah came forward and embraced her family. "I love you guys." 

"We love you too Will. I'm sure everything is going to be fine." Sarah said, releasing the hug. 

"Well I guess I should get going then, you know, before disciplinary action is taken against me." Will joked, making his parents chuckle. Will waved before exiting his house, turning one last time to look at his parents as the door closed behind him. It wasn't final goodbyes, so why did Will feel like it was. Sighing, Will looked down at his BIC, which directed him to where he needed to go.

Following the directions from his wrist device, he found himself walking past the houses that lined his street. From the general direction he was headed, he assumed he was headed for the tram. He had no idea where Helios Grove was, never even heard of it in fact, so he figured that it must have been far away. Stepping onto the main street, he expected to turn right for the tram station, but was surprised when he was directed to veer left instead. Of course, all he could do was follow as he was told, walking down the street, seeing natals going about their daily business.

Every now and then, Will would check his BIC to make sure he was going the correct way. To his left, in the distance, he saw the city centre again, clearer this time without any buildings obstructing his view. He took a left as his BIC instructed before the device stated that he had reached his destination. Confused, Will looked around him, knowing for a fact that the road he was on wasn't Helios Grove or Treser Lane; he had travelled the way many times before to know that for a fact. 

Will knocked on his BIC a couple of times, wondering if the device had malfunctioned, which would have been a first for him. "This can't be it right?" Just then a hovercar stopped just beside Will, floating just above the ground with its antigravity plates. It was also the first time Will had seen a hovercar up close, and a nice one at that. The chassis was jet black and glistened like it was newly polished. The glass that stretched across the entire top of the car was tinted to the same opacity as the metal body, making the vehicle look like it was made of a solid piece of metal. 

Will made to move away from the vehicle, afraid that he would scratch it by standing too close. He took one step before the window faded to transparent, a driver bot behind the wheel. "William Harrison?" It called out, not moving a gear.

"Uh...yeah?" Will replied, a little unsure of how to handle the situation.

"I will be your driver to Helios Grove. Please board the hovercar." The robot droned, the glass immediately returning to its opaque form. Before Will could question anything, the back door slid open, beckoning Will to enter. Hesitantly, Will stepped towards the open door, peeking into the interior, unsure of whether he wanted to trust this android or not. Even with the non existent crime, Will wondered if this was some elaborate kidnap plot, although it was highly unlikely. "Is something the problem sir?" The robotic voice echoed through the interior of the car.

"Um...no, I'm fine." Will said, finally stepping into the car. The door slid close behind him and the vehicle was on its way immediately. The glass of the car, although opaque from the outside, was clear as day from the inside. One-way glass. Will eyed the droid in the driver's seat, looking at the back of his head. Droids were designed with simplicity in mind, made of a low-density metal alloy; they had the basic structure of humans without the little details. For example, droids didn't have facial features, their face nothing more than two sheets of metal coming to a point with cameras for eyes.  

"Sir, I may be a droid, but I would appreciate it if you didn't stare." Will quickly dropped his gaze but not before a blush crept up on his cheeks. 

"Sorry, and please stop calling me sir." Will said. It was weird hearing someone call him sir. Never had he been called anything other than Will. 

"I'm sorry sir but I cannot. I've been programmed to address all humans as sir or ma'am."

"Then can you at least tell me why I'm headed to Helios Grove?"

"That is also something I do not have an answer to." Will dropped his head in disappointment. 

"So can you at least tell me where this Helios Grove is, or what it is? An office building, an education centre, what?" 

"Helios Grove is within the city centre but I think you are mistaken sir. Helios Grove isn't a government building, it is a residential address."

"What? Why am I going to a residential address?" Will asked, more to himself than to anyone. 

"I told you I don't know sir."

"No no, I was just talking to myself." Will said, staring out the window watching the streets rush by. He was so confused, by his lack of posting, for his weird reporting location. Everything just didn't make sense to Will. Today was supposed to be simple, all predicted and scripted and yet here he was, heading to the city centre, in a hovercar with no idea what was happening. 

However, Will couldn't lie that he was partly glad he hadn't gotten a posting. Wasn't this kind of what he wanted, some mystery in his life. Something that didn't go as planned. Sure it may have all been just some error with the test results and he was going to be headed to a job that very same day, but still it was a departure from the norm. 

As the hovercar made its way closer towards the city centre, Will noticed the change in landscape. The change wasn't drastic but it was still noticeable. Buildings got taller as pedestrians became replaced by hovercars. The comfortable wardrobe of natals was replaced by the more form-fitting and stylish fashion of elites. Will was surprised by the number of elites around, always expecting that there were no more than a handful of them. 

"I didn't know there were so many elites on Lunaris." Will voiced out, in awe at what he was seeing. 

"There are approximately 5 million elites on Lunaris, most of them residing within the city centre." 

"They seem to leave that information out of our CKT sessions." Will said, staring out the window. The droid didn't reply, simply ignoring Will, swerving through the roads and streets of the city centre. Will looked up through the glass roof of the car, seeing The Spire towering above him as they drove by its proximity. He couldn't help but let out a whistle at the sheer height of the structure. It never looked as tall when he saw it from his house. 

It was another five minutes before the car pulled up next to a huge mansion. "We have arrived at Helios Grove sir." The robot announced, the door sliding open for Will to exit. Will stepped out, taking in the massive house that stood before him. Based on the front facade of the building, Will estimated that the mansion could have accommodated at least ten of his simple natal houses, and he couldn't even see how far back it went. Unlike the very futuristic and metallic appearance of the city centre however, the building had a 19th century French architecture look. 

Will glanced at the huge archway in front of him and saw the double doors that stood underneath, looking impossible to budge. "How do I enter?" Will asked, turning to the driver, only to see the vehicle floating away down the road it came. "Well thanks then." Will muttered, rolling his eyes. He turned back to the doors, wondering if he needed to knock or something, not receiving any further instruction. 

He took a step to the door, raising his hand to knock before a voice stopped him. "Please scan BIC." The automated message played. Will raised his eyebrow at the request. All homes on Lunaris could only be opened by their occupant's respective BIC, and seeing that he didn't live in Helios Grove, he was sure that he would not have been able to open it. Still, he waved his BIC across the door, knowing that it wouldn't open. To his surprise, the doors parted, giving Will entrance to the amazing home he stood in front of. 

Will walked in, noticing the foyer in front of him. A staircase lined each side of the space, running up the sides and coming together at the little overhang on the second floor. A huge crystal chandelier hung from the high ceiling, casting little fractals of light onto the walls. Lush red carpet lined the floor and ran up the stairs. 

"William Harrison?" The voice startled Will, turning to his right to see yet another droid looking at him. 

"Yes." Will replied. 

"Very good. If you would follow me sir." The machine turned and strode smoothly through the right hallway. Will followed after, admiring the home as he went. Artworks hung against the wall, illuminated by the small amount of light streaming in from the window. Taking a left turn, Will was led into the kitchen, with it stainless steel tabletops and pots hanging from the ceiling. "Would you like anything to drink while we wait, Mr. Harrison?"

"Who are we waiting for anyway?" Will asked, taking a seat at the kitchen island with the droid across from him. 

"All will be explained soon enough sir. So, how about that drink?"

"Um sure, I'll uh just have a soda." Will said, drumming his fingers across the table as the electronic helper went to the fridge to grab the beverage before returning and placing it in front of Will. "Thanks uh...do droids have names?"

"Not all of us, but you can call me Steve." 

"Steve? Really?" Will raised an eyebrow, the side of his lip curling up in a smirk. 

"My programmer picked it, not me." Steve droned, giving obvious sign that he didn't really care for the name either. 

"You can change it right? I mean just program a new name?" 

"Yes but that would mean I have to return to the programming centres and quite frankly, I'd rather not have to wait in line for so long." Will was really intrigued by these droids. Before the day, Will had never met a droid before and he didn't know they were so...human. "But anyway, are you hungry? I can cook something up for you. You are our guest."

"No it's fine, I'm good."

"Are you sure? I can make you a sandwich or something. Chicken perhaps?"

"Real or synthetic." Will joked again, chuckling at himself. 

"Which do you prefer?" The smiled dropped from Will's face, unsure if the robot was joking. 

"Wait, you actually have real chicken?"

"Well, not right here but give me ten minutes and it can be in front of you, cooked to perfection." Steve said before Will noticed movement to his left. He turned and saw a man walking in, a smile on his face when his eyes fell on Will. He had silver hair, which stopped just above his shoulders. He looked somewhere in his fifties but you could still tell he was a good looking man. The face of an elite. 

"He can make that happen if you really want it." The unnamed elite said. "I understand the want to taste real chicken."

"No no, sorry I didn't mean to be so...natal." Will said, blushing at the fact that he seemed so eager, about chicken no less. 

"Nonsense. I was curious at one point too. Personally though, I don't get the hype of it. Tastes exactly the same as synthetic." He said, winking. "I'm Varek by the way."

"I'm Will, but you probably already knew that." Varek laughed, patting Will on the shoulder. 

"Yes yes, I know who you are. I'm sure you have a lot of questions right now, am I right?" Varek said, taking a seat next to Will. 

"Some answers would be nice."

"All in good time, everything will be explained soon enough. We're just waiting for a special guest to arrive before we get to the questions. For now, just relax and make yourself at home. Steve would be happy to help with anything you might need, wouldn't you Steve." Varek smiled, looking to his droid. 

"It would be my pleasure." The android answered, bowing in grand fashion. 

"Hmm, you could do without the sarcasm Steve." 

"Of course sir, except you were the one who requested my higher than usual sense of sarcasm."

"That I did." Varek smiled, turning back to Will. "Steve is basically family. So anyway, yeah I'll be back. Just enjoy yourself in the meantime."

Will nodded as Varek got up and walked out the kitchen. "I've haven't seem him that excited in a long time. You must really be special." Steve said. 

"Well I don't know if I would call myself special. I don't even know why I'm here."

"Well you're the first natal to step foot into this house. That counts for something right?"

"If you say so. Anyway, what about you? What is your job in this huge house?" Will asked, looking around the vast kitchen, so big that his entire house could have fit in it. 

"I'm basically the butler. I help the family with anything and everything. Cleaning, cooking, you name it, I do it." Steve said, the tone of his voice didn't seem to show that he liked his job very much though. 




The Lunar Life Ch. 02



"Seems like a fun job." Will played. 

"You have no idea." Steve deadpanned. "But still, the family is nice enough and I could be doing a lot worse."

"I guess that's one way to look at it."

"What about you? I know you didn't get a posting but did you have something in mind that you wanted?"

"Well I wanted to be a butler, but I guess androids have gotten the post locked down tight." Will smirked, shooting a playful look at Steve. "But seriously though, I don't. I just don't know what I can do well enough that I can excel at."

"Don't you wish you were an android then. That way you can just program yourself to be good at something."

"Yeah but, I prefer skin and bone to metal and gears."

"Hey, don't knock it till you try it." Steve said, chuckling a robotic laugh. In the background, Will heard voices approaching, the sound of shoes against the parquet flooring echoing down the hall. It was a couple seconds later when Will saw Varek return with the special guest in tow. Will's eyes bulged when he noticed that the guest was none other than President Dart. 

"Will, I'd like you to meet President Dart. Sir, this is William Harrison." Varek introduced, allowing space for the president to move forward to meet Will. 

"Will Harrison, it's a pleasure to meet you." He said, stretching his hand out, a smile gracing his features. With president Dart so close, Will could see the wrinkles on his face, something that was very peculiar for an elite. Will took his hand, giving it a firm handshake. 

"Hello sir, the pleasure is mine."

"Come come, we'll talk in the office." Varek said, motioning for them to follow him. President Dart put an arm around Will's shoulder, pulling him in the direction that Varek was headed. Next to his own 6' frame, President Dart was only slightly taller but a lot broader. Will could feel from the arm across his shoulder that although President Dart looked old, he was made of solid muscle. Varek led the group into a small room, a desk located in the centre of it. To the sides, bookshelves lined the walls, each of them stocked to the brim with literature. Varek motioned to the seat in front of the desk for Will to sit, while President Dart walked behind the desk and took a seat there. Pulling another chair next to Will, Varek settled down next to him. 

"So Will, I'm sure you are wondering why you are here." President Dart stated, looking expectantly at Will. 

"Yes I am."

"Well you see this had something to do with your test results, which were...peculiar."

"What do you mean peculiar?" Will asked. President Dart looked to Varek, wordlessly asking him to explain. 

"You see, my father developed the CKT system, and the objective of the system wasn't just to impart knowledge quickly and efficiently to a person, but also to assess their talents and compatibility to certain jobs. This is commonly known as the test that you took." So far Will could follow but he still hadn't heard anything that told him why he was here. "The system works flawlessly, always being able to pinpoint a persons ideal job if, the person is a natal."

"Okay but then why do you say my results are peculiar?"

"Okay well, you should know that the way natals and elites are educated are different. Natals are educated in a factual base method, relying on imparting facts and retaining them, while elite education involves problem solving and discovery. That difference leads to the system being able to narrow down the best choices and finally choosing an ideal job for a natal. However, if an elite were to take the same test, the system would not be able to come to a conclusion because elites would not be satisfied with any one aspect of a job. The way they are educated causes them to want to learn more, to find out how to better themselves. So it is definitely peculiar when a natal receives test results that should have only come from an elite."

"Wait, so you're telling me that I don't have a posting because the system couldn't decide for me? I mean I know I question stuff a lot of times but I was still educated the natal way. Shouldn't the system be able to tell that?" Will asked. 

"Yes exactly, that's what the system should be able to do, but it didn't because you are probably not as normal as you think."

"I'm not sure I follow what you're getting at."

"What Varek is trying to say Will, is that you are special. The natal who thinks like an elite. Proof that evolution can take place." President Dart said. 

"Okay, but what does that mean for me?" Will asked. 

"Well right now you have two options. One, you can select any job within Lunaris, you will be posted there and you can live your life as normally as you wish, as a natal. Or two, you can select the opportunity we're giving you, to learn the elite way. To further your teachings and make you question the workings of the world around you, and discover new ways to better human existence. To become an elite." President Dart stopped. 

"You want me to become an elite? Can you even become an elite?" Will asked. He was so confused by all this. He was a natal, a plain and simple natal born from two parents. He wasn't made in a lab; he wasn't perfect. He had never heard of a natal becoming elite, that just never happened. 

"You'll be the first. It's intriguing even for us Will. Never have we seen results like yours coming from a natal. It's like discovering something new and you can imagine that gets us elites really going." Varek said, almost bouncing in his seat. 

"Listen Will, I know this is a lot to take in right now and you need some time to think about it, but I can tell, you are elite material. You look at the things around you and you wonder how you can improve them. You think about the future and not just live in the present. That's an elite." President Dart said, making Will think through his words. It was just earlier the same day the Will was thinking about practical uses for the BIC, looking for ways to improve on what is already available. 

"But what does this mean for me, if I accept the offer of being an elite." Will asked. 

"It means anything you want it to mean Will. Being an elite means that your actions are your own. If you're worried about your family, don't be. You will be able to visit them any time you wish. You can choose to live either in the city centre or close to your parents if that's what you want, it's your life and your decisions. You will however, be taught about leadership, which I feel you will have no problem adjusting to."

"Do I have to decide now?" Will asked. 

"No of course not. It's a big decision and you need time to think about it." President Dart said, looking at his watch. "Oh and it looks like I have to get going. It was nice meeting you Will, and I hope I will get to see you again soon, hopefully as an elite. Good luck." President Dart got up, giving a nod to Varek. Will stood as well, knowing it was the polite thing to do when someone, especially the president, was leaving. President Dart walked by him, patting him on the shoulder before heading out the room. 

"Well, you can stay here for the rest of the day, roam around a bit if you like. You can stay overnight too if you feel like it, we sure do have enough room for you. Anything you want to ask, just feel free. My wife and son should be around too so you can ask them anything as well, they'll be happy to answer any queries you have." Varek said, smiling at Will. 

"What do you think I should do?" Will asked. 

"Well, being natal is what you know to do. What's the harm in trying to be an elite and maybe learn something new? But of course, it's all up to you. Only you will know what you think is best. You should talk to your parents about it too, get their input."

"Thanks Varek."

"No problem Will. If it's any help, I see a lot of elite in you and I see you doing great things. You're a diamond in the rough." Will smiled at the elite in front of him. Varek, even President Dart didn't seem like the weird people that natals made elites out to be. To Will, they were both pretty normal, just people who had a passion for discovery and advancement. People who liked to see the world get better whether it was through their help or not. They were like himself. 

Will had to think maybe that was why Thane didn't seem weird the other day, because to Will, he wasn't. To Will, all elites shared his thirst for knowledge. The reason he never felt connected to Lunaris was because he didn't have the right incentive to. Talking to Varek and Dart, for once Will felt like he mattered. Felt like he could make a change, for everyone and for himself. For once, he cared about Lunaris.



The Lunar Life Ch. 03



As Will roamed Helios Grove, he noticed just how different elite life was as compared to natal living. Other than the obvious difference in living conditions, what Will noticed most however was the atmosphere surrounding the two different social classes. Growing up around natals, Will was accustomed to being satisfied with what he had, not like in material possessions but life in general. A few hours around elites and Will could sense their lack of complacency, how there was always room for improvement and therefore, something to strive for. Something that was refreshing for Will. 

Still he wondered if he could make that transition of going from natal to elite. A part of him just yelled hell yeah, but another part of him made him think otherwise. For so long, he knew elites to be the perfect specimens of human existence, something that was, in a way, better than he could ever hope to be. Suddenly, out of the blue, someone was telling him that he was, or at least could be, that version of himself he never thought possible. Regardless of what everyone said, did he feel like he was good enough? Was he up for the incredible opportunity and challenge that was put before him?

The answer that rang loud and clear in Will's head was, 'I don't know, but I would sure as hell try.'

In Will's head, his mind was as good as made up, the only thing left that could change his mind were his parents. He was pretty sure that they were going to be fine with it, and knowing his parents, he was certain they would be happy that he had the opportunity. Of course, this was all in his head and he still needed their formal input on the matter, but that would have to wait till later that night. 

In the meantime, Will took Varek's suggestion and wandered the many halls of Helios Grove. Winding through the seemingly never ending corridors, Will wondered how many rooms there actually were in the house, losing count at around twenty. The size of the place meant that Will, not really knowing his way around got lost a couple of times, which was exactly what was happening that exact moment. Still, he kept walking on, sure that eventually he would come across a familiar spot or meet someone to ask for directions. 

Walking down the hall, Will looked to his left and saw an abstract portrait that hung on the wall. "Hmm, this looks familiar. But then again, all these abstract paintings do." Will mumbled to himself. It was just then that Will heard movement coming from a room further down the hall. At the prospect of maybe finding someone to get directions from, Will followed the sounds, hearing the soft muffled speech of a man. 

Whoever it was, it seemed like the guy was talking to himself, Will only hearing one voice. Remembering that Varek mentioned that his wife and son were around, Will assumed the source of the voice to be Varek's son. As he got closer to the source, he realized it came from the room at the far end of the hall, the voice carrying down the hallway. "Yes I just got done with it. I've sent it to you so just go have a look at it and tell me what you think...yeah, okay thanks...bye."

The door at the far end opened, it's occupant walking out with a tablet in his hand. The fingers of his right hand ran across the screen as the device was cradled in his left arm. With eyes focused on the screen, he didn't notice Will's presence, but Will saw him, and his mouth hung open in shock at the man standing in front of him.

"Thane?" Will muttered, blinking a couple of times to see if it was a trick of the eyes. At the sound of his voice, Thane looked up from his tablet, taking in the man in front of him. As his eyes landed on Will's face, the color drained from his face. 

"Will?" He voiced, shell shocked to see the natal he had met at the forest a few days ago. 

"I didn't..." Will started but was cut off when Thane grabbed the front of his shirt and yanked him forward, swiftly retreating into the room Thane had just exited from. The door slammed shut and Will was pushed against the door, Thane's fist still clutching to the front of Will's shirt. 

"What are you doing here? Are you stalking me?" Thane hissed through clenched teeth, his eyebrows furrowed. 

"What?"

"How did you get in here? Fuck, you are not supposed be here." Thane said, distress apparent in his tone. It was weird hearing Thane cuss, Will expecting that it wasn't part of an elite's vocabulary. 

"Dude relax. I swear, I'm not stalking you. I'm here to see Varek about my test results." Will hurriedly explain, putting his hands up in surrender. He didn't quite like getting on Thane's bad side and he looked livid at that point. 

"My dad? Wait..." His face relaxed, his fist slowly uncurling and releasing Will's clothes. "You're William Harrison? You're the natal elite guy?"

"Well, that's what you're dad told me." Will said, straightening his shirt. 

"Shit. No, this can't be happening. Why must it be you of all people?" Thane said, turning around and running his hand through his neat hair. 

"Wow thanks a lot." Will deadpanned, making Thane turn to him. 

"No, sorry I didn't mean it like that. Ugh, I mean, close to 700 million natals on Lunaris and it's the one I met in the forest. What are the odds of that?" 

"Well I didn't ask for this to happen." Will said, casting his eyes to the ground. 

"You didn't...tell anyone, did you? About that day in the forest." Thane said, rubbing his knuckles nervously. 

"Not what we talked about, no." Thane took a deep breath, leaning his body against the desk that stood behind him. Will took in the room around him, noticing it to be another office, furnished exactly the same as the office Will was in earlier that day. Seeing that Thane was probably doing some work in here earlier, Will assumed that this was his personal office. "About what you said that day, was it a joke?" 

"If I said yes, you wouldn't believe me anyway, am I right?" Thane said, cocking an eyebrow at Will. 

"Well I don't know. It was all so strange, I don't really know what to make of it." Thane sighed, running his hand through his hair again. 

"No, it was not a joke."

"Okay, well...thanks...for clearing that up." Thane chuckled at his comment, looking at the man who stood in front of his office door.

"I basically tell you that I find you attractive and that's all you have to say?" 

"Well what do you want me to say anyway?" Will asked, leaning against the door for support. He didn't know what to feel. For one, he finally knew that what was said back at the forest wasn't some elite practical joke they played on natals, but on the other hand, what did that revelation even matter to him? He was still on Lunaris and there was no way that he could hope for anything with Thane. 

"Well it would be nice if you could say the same for one? You know, make me feel comforted at the fact that I'm not alone in the matter." Thane said, pushing off the desk and taking a couple of steps to Will. Thane too, shared similar thoughts on the matter of his sexuality. Did he want to be able to have a relationship, yes, but with him being gay, and elite at that, he knew that it was an almost unfathomable scenario. 

"I thought you should be able to read that, what with your psychology background and everything." Will played, keeping his eyes off of Thane. 

"Maybe, but it's still kind of nice to hear something being said out loud, makes it feel more tangible." Thane said, stepping again, closer to Will. He knew he shouldn't, but he couldn't help his gravitation to the man in front of him, as if the guy had a magnet that pulled at his insides. 

"Well I don't see you're reasoning. If you know something, you know something. You shouldn't need reaffirmation." Will said, noting Thane's increasing proximity to him. 

Thane cocked an eyebrow at Will, a smirk playing on his lips. He couldn't resist the need to tease Will and any thoughts about the consequences of his actions left him. He tried his luck, pushing the limits to see how far he could take this. Maybe a kiss won't be too bad. His brain concocted scenarios, playing them out in a multitude of ways, analyzing the many possible paths they could take. 

"You see, sometimes people just need some sort of confirmation. Like how I say I want to kiss you so bad right now." Thane said, stopping right in front of Will, making the smaller man shoot his face up in surprise. "Something that you probably knew I was thinking, but still you doubted yourself in case, by that slim chance, that you were wrong. That is, until I said it out loud. You see my reasoning now?"

Will swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing in his neck, Thane's eye darting down momentary, catching the image. "Okay, I...uh...understand." Will coughed nervously. 

"So let's try this again. Do you want me to kiss you?" Thane asked, bringing his lips closer to Will's face. Will's heart rate skyrocketed, blood rushing across his skin, making him flush a deep red. He could feel the breath of the elite dancing across his cheek, setting sparks flying. 

"Yes." Will whispered out. A smile crept onto Thane's face as he brought his lips to Will's, closing the remaining distance between them. Electricity coursed through his veins as the kiss lit up a fire within Thane. It was a simple kiss, and yet, Thane felt like he was flying. For reasons unknown to him, Will had captured his interest to a point of discomfort. He wanted to find out more about the peculiar natal, and thinking that this kiss was as far as he was going to proceed with Will made him feel empty. 

Despite his completely still body, Will was anything but calm in his mind. From the moment Thane trailed his face inches from his, to the pinnacle that was the actual kiss, a million emotions coursed through him. He didn't even know he could feel so much at any one time. The kiss however, calmed him completely, Will only focusing on one thing, and that was Thane. For some crazy reason, the amazingly hot elite guy was kissing him and Will didn't have a clue as to why. Will was normal, as normal as they came. 

As the need for oxygen overcame the feeling of euphoria that their lip contact brought, they pulled apart taking deep long breaths. Will stared into the silver eyes of Thane, finding them focused onto his own green ones. Thane was the first person Will had met who had silver eyes, that looked both cold and yet warm at the same time. 

Instincts kicked in as Will wrapped his hands around Thane's neck, pulling the elite to him and crashing their lips together again, all in blinding speed. Thane was shocked initially, before relaxing into the feeling of Will against him, his eyes closing to enjoy the kiss. The kiss wasn't as reserved this time, more passionate as they started sucking on each other's lips. 

Thane found his hands snaking around Will's waist as the kiss deepened, pushing forward slightly, pinning Will against the door. He darted out his tongue tentatively, grazing Will's lower lip, begging for entry, to which Will responded by parting his lips. Thane slid his tongue into Will's mouth, tasting the man that was making him hard in all sorts of ways. His knees almost buckled when Will sucked on his tongue, the feeling so good it made his knees weak. 

Will began weaving his fingers through Thane's neatly combed hair, his other hand rubbing circles on Thane's neck. Once or twice, Will felt goose bumps erupt across Thane's skin, giving him an idea that whatever he was doing felt good to the elite. Thane however, pulled away from the kiss, running his lips down Will's jawline. 

"You need to stop that." Thane whispered, his breath tickling the skin around Will's ear. 

"Sorry, I've never done this before." Will responded, thinking maybe that he read Thane's reactions wrongly, and he wasn't enjoying it as Will thought. 

Thane chuckled, his chest vibrating against Will's. "It's not that. I'm enjoying it too much, if you know what I mean."

"Oh." Will blushed. 

"You're impossibly cute when you blush, it's not even fair."

"Well you're impossibly hot period, so I guess we're even." Will smirked. Thane returned a half smile, about to lean in for another kiss when a beep stopped him. Thane stopped, his lips inches from Will's as the beeping continued in the background. In his mind all he wanted was for his BIC to shut up, but he knew he had to pick up the call, swiping his finger across the screen. 

"Thane, I was wondering if you've come across William Harrison. It's been awhile since anyone saw him and I thought he might be lost, it is a big house after all." Thane's BIC droned. 

"Um, yeah Dad, he's with me right now. We've been...talking." Thane said, bringing his wrist up to his face, his eyes focused on Will. As Thane looked into the eyes of Will in front of him, it dawned on him what he had just done. 

"Ah good, so you've met each other. Well okay I was just checking. Get to know each other; you're both the same age so I guess you'll have stuff in common. Answer any questions he might have. I'll leave you two then." Varek said over the watch. 

"Yeah, sure thing Dad." Thane stopped, dropping his wrist. He took a step back, putting distance between them. "Um...sorry for...being so forward." After being interrupted, shame started to bubble within Thane. All he wanted was one kiss and he lost control. He shouldn't have kissed Will in the first place, but damn him if that didn't feel better than anything he'd ever done before. 

"No, I'm uh...sorry too. We both got carried away." Will said, straightening his shirt. 

"Are you regretting it though?" Thane asked, casting a sideways glance at Will. 

"Well, we shouldn't have done that but...I don't know. You?"

"I should, but I don't know if I do." Thane said, retreating to his desk, collapsing onto the chair. "You know this kinda just threw a wrench into the situation. I was perfectly fine carrying on with life not telling anyone about my...little problem. Then I met you in the forest and yada yada I end up telling you."

"Why did you though? I was just some random natal." Will asked, taking the seat across Thane. 

"I don't know, I guess I told you because I was kinda elated that I finally met someone else like me. Of course I may have jumped the gun on the matter because my inkling that you were gay were literally simply assumptions." Thane said

"Yes my point exactly. I mean if I wasn't, weren't you afraid that I might have told someone about you?" 

"Well, and I mean this with the least disrespect I swear, it was the word of an elite against a natal. I figured that even if you ratted me out, no one would believe you if I denied it. It's horrible I know, but that's the way it is." Thane didn't like holding his social status over natals. He knew of so many natals who thought that way, that they were above the working class of Lunaris, but Thane didn't want that.

"It's fine really. Natals just get used to being second class citizens." Thane cringed at the use of words. 

"Don't. Just don't." Will raised a questioning eyebrow at Thane. "I hate it when natals say that. For one, you're no lesser than us and secondly, it's a real pain to live up to these unrealistic expectations of us. I'm human too and I make mistakes, but when everyone expects you to be perfect, it's...it's just a little much to take sometimes."

"Never really thought about it that way before."

"Well that's what you have to do now isn't it. Think outside the box, think like an elite." Thane said. 

"Hmm, while we're on the subject, what are you're thoughts on the matter? Me becoming an elite?"

"I hate the idea." Thane deadpanned, surprising Will with his bluntness. So far everyone had been supportive for him to give it a shot, but apparently Thane had different ideas.

"Don't take you're time to answer then." Will remarked sarcastically, not appreciating the curt statement. Thane just confused Will beyond belief. First he's sucking on his face, then goes to say how elite and natals are the same, then the next minute he doesn't want Will to be elite. 

"Let me explain. Firstly, if you become an elite, that would mean that you and I would be spending a lot more time together, and I'm having a hard enough time trying not to throw myself at you." Thane paused, looking up to see Will blush. "Secondly, being elite and gay isn't a good idea."

"Like being gay on Lunaris, elite or natal is good." Will rolled his eyes. 

"No you don't get it. Elites are made 'perfect', meaning errors are not tolerated. It's all rumors but there's talk that elites that have shown less than favorable traits are eliminated. Disappear, just like that." Thane said, making Will chuckle. It all sounded like a joke to Will. Like some weird conspiracy theory concocted by the bored. 

"Is that the horror stories elite parents tell their kids?" Thane laughed along with Will. 

"But seriously though, there is a certain pressure being an elite. Everything you do is being judged. I have to keep my secret locked tight because being an elite means that you are expected to be the model Lunarision, and being gay definitely doesn't fit that mold."

"Sounds like a lot of pressure, but you survive it right?" Will liked knowing the cons of his decision if he did choose to be elite. So far everyone had painted him a picture that simply made it seem like everything would be smooth sailing. Thane, being gay too, helped Will understand that facet of elite life. 

"Just barely to be honest. Look I'm not trying to dissuade you if that's what you're wondering. I just feel you need to know the whole picture before you make a choice. Sure it's added pressure, but if you think you can handle it, then I'd love that you become elite. Gives me more time to get to know the real William Harrison." Thane said, shooting Will a smirk. 

"This is the real me. The real question is who is the real Thane?

"That is what you'll learn, if you become an elite."

"You know for someone who supposedly hates the idea of me becoming elite, you sure are the most persuasive." 

"Well, maybe I'm more eager towards the idea than I originally let on. I may have ulterior motives." Thane teased. Will groaned, partly getting somewhat turned on by Thane's suggestive comments and at the same time, annoyed at his flirting.

"Okay seriously this needs to stop. You and I both know that we cannot have anything going on here past friendship. You do know that, right?" Will asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"You are such a killjoy. Yes Will, I know. I'm just teasing." Thane said, getting out of his chair. "C'mon I'll give you a proper tour of the premises." 

Will got out of his chair, following Thane as he led him out of the room. The rest of the afternoon was spent with Thane getting Will familiar with the place. They bumped into Thane's mom, Cassandra once but after a polite greeting, she was off on her way, obviously busy as she spoke into her BIC. From the little encounter Will sensed that unlike Varek, Cassandra was more of a firm steadfast person. A no nonsense kind of woman. 

"Your mom is kinda scary." Will voiced when Cassandra was out of earshot. 

"I'd be surprise if you didn't think so." Thane laughed. "She was always the strict parent but hey, she's still a good mother. She doesn't show much emotion but being a psychologist, she sure is an expert in them. I think that's why she's so good at hiding her feelings."

"You major is psychology too, but you seem to wear your heart on your sleeves." Will poked. 

"Maybe a little. I show people what I don't mind them seeing. I can be stoic and unfeeling too but it's just too much effort to put up that facade all the time. Besides, I'm closer to my dad anyway, and he is anything but stoic." Thane chuckled, coming to a stop in front of a door at the end of a hallway. "Well here we are, last stop on the tour. The best for last."




The Lunar Life Ch. 03



"Something tells me it's just your bedroom." Will deadpanned, raising an eyebrow at the elite. 

"You seriously take the fun out of everything." Thane shook his head, opening the door to his room. Will looked in, taking in his surroundings. The room was moderately sized, big by Will's standards but he assumed it was moderate for an elite. In the middle of the room stood an enormous bed, big enough for probably four people to lie side by side with room to spare. A door stood to the right, Will assuming was the bathroom. A large screen TV hung on the wall across the bed, a couch sitting between them. 

All these seemed insignificant however, when Will's gaze fell onto the far left corner of the room. The area was taken up by an old school pac-man arcade machine, standing next to it an authentic jukebox, and to top it off, both of them standing over a foosball table in the middle. Will had never seen those items in real life before, knowing that most of those retro stuff weren't brought to Lunaris. Most of what was left were stored for safe keeping in museums and such. 

"Whoa." Was all Will could muster. 

"Like them? A personal hobby of mine. I have a soft spot for stuff like that." Thane said, walking over to the recreational corner, Will following behind. 

"I've never seen any of them in person before. CKT sessions made sure I knew of them, but I never thought that any existed outside a museum." Will said, walking over and running a hand across the rim of the foosball table. 

"Getting them weren't easy. The pac-man machine was actually damaged during transport to Lunaris. The transport shuttle had a systems failure and a blown coolant pipe in the cargo area meant that almost everything in there were destroyed. Still, they kept it in storage somewhere until a couple years back when there were plans to scrap it. I heard about it and I was down there in a flash. Got this baby, fixed her up and now she's as good as new." Thane said, patting the arcade machine. 

"Sounds like you got really lucky with that."

"Yep. I still can't believe I got it. The rest were gifts from my dad. He knows I like such things and he helped get me the jukebox and the foosball table. You like them?" Thane asked. 

"Yeah. They're really cool. Natals never dream of seeing stuff like this."

"But you're not an ordinary natal."

"Don't get me started on that. It's still strange to me how my test results somehow make me elite material. I just like to question stuff, doesn't mean I'm elite right?" Will asked, walking over the couch and having a seat. 

"Well it's not just that. The test takes in a lot of factors before having a final answer. Using CKT, the program analyzes your memories, experiences during your job attachments, your knowledge retention from CKT theory sessions. It's a very complex system."

"I don't remember the test though. Nobody does." Will stated. 

"That's the way it's meant to be. The CKT system is very capable of transferring information into a person's brain, but the same can't be said when information is extracted from the brain. In order to access your memories, the system forces your brain to recall what you were taught. The brain however, is unable to stop this memory recall even after the test has ended. 

"You are made to forget the test, because a signal sent during the test is what triggers memory recollection, and if the brain doesn't forget this signal, the person basically goes mad. The brain forever recalling old memories unable to make new ones and, because the brain is so preoccupied, unable to perform other basic tasks. Does that make sense?"

"A little, I guess. Basically what your saying is that, if we remembered the test, we would become a walking encyclopedia, just spurting out facts that our brain knows?" 

"In essence, yes."

"But I don't see how that could affect my test results."

"Well, the test draws upon previous memories. The way natals are educated, you remember the facts told to you as they are. You are not taught to question that fact. Elite education however, revolves around problem solving. We aren't ever given facts straight, but given circumstances leading to that fact and we have to figure it out ourselves. The system isn't able to read these memories efficiently, hence why elites don't get a result."

"That's what I'm saying. I was educated the natal way. How is it that I didn't get a result?"

"That's what we're trying to find out, but for now, just try to wrap your mind around the fact that you may just very well be special, and that's just the way you are." Thane said. 

"Somehow I'm not very satisfied with that answer." Will groaned, rubbing his face in frustration. 

"And that my friend, is the very reason you think like an elite." 

Will thought about what Thane said. It couldn't be the fact that Will was just simply never satisfied with just knowing. He always needed to know how, when, why. He was excited for the opportunity but he wanted to know what made him so special that he got this chance. Almost 700 million natals and he was the only one who thought like an elite? The idea that he was the only natal who questioned the facts in his life seemed crazy to Will. 

As Will sat in the hovercar that drove him back to his house, the questions still kept playing through his mind. Questions that neither he nor anyone for that matter, have the answers to and that frustrated him. The thought that this was what elites should be solving, what they thought he was capable of solving, made his head hurt. Thane was right about the pressures of being elite. Will wasn't even elite yet and already he felt the weight of what that title meant. It meant that he would be one of the people called upon to solve the unanswered questions, and your mind was what the progress of the colony depended on. A lot of pressure for a twenty one year old. 

As the hovercar stopped down the street from his house, the door slid open. After spending a whole day in the city centre, Will realized just how different the rest of Lunaris was in comparison. It wasn't dilapidated or anything, just different. Just as Will was about to get out, the driver bot spoke. "Sir, I will be here the same time tomorrow morning to bring you to Helios Grove. Have a pleasant evening."

Will nodded thanks, getting out of the vehicle. Not a second later, the door closed and the car was off down the road. He took his time, strolling back to his house. He was sure that his parents would have a thousand questions for him, and he too had some big news to break to them. Not to mention he needed to get their input on the whole becoming elite thing. 

He should have known that his parents would be eagerly awaiting his return. Not a second after the front door opened, did he see his mother's head poking out from the top of the stairs. She rushed down, grabbing Will and pulling him to the couch, sitting him down. 

"Tell me everything. What happened today? What is your job? Who did you meet and what did they tell you?" Sarah said, bouncing in her seat in anticipation. 

"Calm down Sarah. Let the boy breathe a little." Trevor said, walking calmly into the room. Sure he may have seemed calm but deep down, he was just as curious as his wife. Sarah apologized before her husband took a seat beside her. "So, what happened today? Did anyone explain anything to you?"

"Yeah they explained everything, but you guys probably won't believe it." Will said chuckling. He took his parent's silence as a go ahead to continue. "Well after I left I was brought to the city centre, where I met a few elites who took the liberty of explaining to me my peculiar test results. Apparently, my test results are something that elites get when they take the test." Will paused, looking at his parent's to see if they could follow. 

"Wait, I don't think I understand." Sarah said, her eyebrows creasing in confusion. Next to her Trevor shared a similar expression. 

"They want to make me an elite. They think that I am capable of being the first natal elite transition." His parents remained quiet, unsure of how to respond to the news their son had just presented to them. It's not everyday your son tells you that he was becoming an elite. "It's not final yet though. They gave me some time to think about it. I could reject it and get assigned a job like normal if I didn't like the idea too. I just wanted to get you guys' input before I decided anything."

"Um...well...I don't know what to say actually." Sarah said, her mind still processing the words that Will had just uttered. She had never heard of such a thing and this was all pretty new to her. 

"If you guys don't like the idea I can reject them."

"No no, I don't think that's what your mother means. It's just...this is a lot to process Will. I myself am still pretty shocked." Trevor chuckled. 

"What does that mean though? Becoming elite? Like what does that entail?" Sarah asked. 

"Well basically I will learn the ins and outs of being elite and the responsibilities that come with that. I will learn leadership and all that, probably start a specialization or so. Improving myself in a way."

"Is that what you want?" His father asked. 

"I don't know. Kinda? I think it's a good opportunity. It's not exactly something that many natals say they get to do after all." Will chuckled. 

"Well, I think your mom is with me on this and really, if that's what you want then go ahead. You are an adult and your decisions are your own. We know that this is an amazing opportunity and denying you that would be very selfish on our part as parents." Will smiled at his father before turning to look at his mom. She smiled and nodded, agreeing with her husband. 

"Thanks guys."

"What about your living arrangements?" Sarah asked. 

"Well they said I could either stay here with you guys or move to the city centre. Varek, the elite I met just now, has graciously offered me a place to stay at his place. He says it's more convenient and productive that way." Will said, recalling the conversation he had with Varek before he left. The elite had offered Will residence while under his mentoring. 

"I can tell you want to live there don't you." Trevor smirked, seeing past his son's coy remark. 

"I think it's a good opportunity that's all."

"Well I'm all for it. It's good to learn a little independence." 

Will smiled at his parents. He knew they would be happy for him but seeing the way they looked at him just filled him with joy. They weren't only happy for him, they were proud.



The Lunar Life Ch. 04



Will stood by the side of the road, a duffel bag slung across his right shoulder as he waited for the hovercar that was to take him back to Helios Grove. He looked down at the bag to his right, wondering if he had brought enough of his personal belongings. 

After the conversation he had with his parents the previous night, Will had contacted Varek to inform the elite of his decision. The older man was more than a little excited at the news, his enthusiasm conveyed through the BIC.

"And what about your accommodations? Staying with us, or your parents'?" Varek asked. 

"I think it will be a good opportunity to stay in the city centre. I really hope I'm not imposing Varek, because if I am I can always find another place." Will said. He liked the idea of living in Helios Grove but couldn't help but feel that he was imposing, even if Varek was the one who invited him. 

"Nonsense. We have the room and it's no bother at all."

"Thanks Varek. Is there anything I need to bring besides a change of clothes?" 

"You don't even need those actually. If you're going to be an elite, you're going to dress like one. You can still bring some clothes if you prefer to slip into something more comfortable now and then, but other than that you'll have a brand new wardrobe."

Following Varek's advice, Will packed a few sets of his clothes, leaving the rest in his old room. That morning his mom had bid him a teary goodbye and Will had to remind her that he would be visiting often. She smiled but still continued to shed her tears. Will just laughed and shook his head, thinking that maybe this was just what mothers did. 

So here he was, waiting by the side of the road. As he waited, he observed the street that he lived on for the past twenty-one years. Mostly a residential area, the place featured row after row of houses. The roads that ran along the streets were mostly empty of vehicles, unlike the city centre where you saw a hovercar every few feet. So when a shiny black hovercar came floating down the street towards Will, he knew immediately that it was his ride. 

As the vehicle coasted to a smooth stop in front of Will, the door opened. Expecting everything to be the same as the previous day, Will didn't have a second thought before stepping into the car. This time however, the vehicle wasn't as empty as he had expected. 

"What are you doing here?" Will asked, pausing halfway into the vehicle. 

"Just get in. I'll explain later." Thane replied, not giving any further information. Will raised an eyebrow at him, trying to figure out the guy's motives. Still, confused as he might have been, Will stepped in, taking a seat beside Thane. The door closed behind him and the vehicle was off. "Nice to see you." Thane smiled. 

"That makes one of us. I think I'm more confused than anything else." Thane simply laughed, taking a tablet out from the door compartment. He turned it on and tapped away onto the screen. 

"We're just gonna have a slight detour before we head back to Helios." Thane mumbled, more to himself than anyone, as he tapped the screen. With a final keystroke, the driver bot spoke up. 

"Route updated." It droned before quickly taking a left turn. Even though he had only traveled to Helios Grove once before, Will knew that the route they were supposed to take carried on straight ahead instead of taking a left turn. 

"You hacked the robot?" Will asked. 

"Hack is such a strong word. I like to think of it as re-programming." Thane's mischievous tone did nothing to ease Will's confusion. 

"Something tells me that this isn't something your father would approve of."

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him." Will rolled his eyes, knowing that he had no choice but to just go with it. Wherever or whatever Thane had in mind, Will had no way to change it even if he wanted to. 

"Where are we going anyway? I hope you're not bringing me somewhere so you can kill me." Will said, raising an eyebrow at the man next to him. 

"Now why would I kill you? Look at that cute face." Thane cooed like he was speaking to a little kid. 

"Wow you can be infuriating sometimes. You know you're kinda childish?" 

"So I've heard." 

"Really?" Will asked. From what Will could tell, Thane's interactions with everyone else he had seen was very professional, so different from the Thane that spoke to him. Hearing that someone else had said he was childish seemed unlikely what with the way he carried himself around others. 

"Nope. Just you." Thane smirked making Will roll his eyes once again. 

"I rest my case. So, are you going to tell me where we're going?" Will asked, turning to face Thane. 

"You'll know when we get there. I'm certain you'll like it too so don't worry." At those words, Will knew exactly where they were headed.

"The forest? Why are we going there?" Will asked, making Thane whip his head to Will in surprise. "Don't look so surprised. Could you have been any more obvious?"

"You're one of those 'nothing gets by you' kind of person aren't you. Damn, takes the joy out of any kind of surprise."

"I have more than enough surprises in my life right now. Besides, you are in no obligation to surprise me with anything, or need I remind you that we aren't exactly friends yet? I've known you for three days, and I'm not exaggerating." Will stated. Seriously though, he could count the number of times he had met Thane on one hand. 

"Ouch Harrison." Thane played, holding a hand over his heart in mock hurt. "I thought we shared something a little more special than that. You seemed to think so when you were sucking on my face."

"Shut up. Don't mention that, ever. It wasn't supposed to happen and you and I both know that." 

"Fine, sorry. Just teasing." Thane said, turning to look out the window. Will shook his head, turning to face out the window as well, letting the silence between them take over. He didn't need it, being constantly reminded of his attraction to Thane. What Will wanted was to forget all about it, knowing that no good would come of it.

The sight of the green trees looming in the foreground was a sight for sore eyes for Will. What with everything that was suddenly being thrust upon him, he would have liked nothing more than an hour at the forest to relax and clear his head. The car turned down a road that Will never took whenever he visited by foot, the route leading towards the back of the dome, away from the main entrance that he frequented. As the car pulled into the complex from an entrance that Will never even knew existed, he found himself in a parking lot of sorts, coming to a conclusion that it was probably for visiting elites. 

As the vehicle came to a stop, the doors popped open. Without a single word, Thane stepped out of the vehicle. Will followed behind, exiting the car only to notice that Thane was already walking away towards what looked liked the elevator. Frowning slightly, Will ran to catch up with the other man, slowing to match his pace once at his side. 

"Did I say something wrong?" Will asked, knowing that Thane's silence and somewhat cold attitude had something to do with what he had said in the car. 

"Nothing that I don't already know." Thane replied, not even giving Will a sideways glance. 

"Then what's with you?" Will said as he stepped into the elevator with Thane. 

"Nothing." He sighed, punching the button, causing the door to close. Will shook his head as the elevator ascended. If Thane wanted to be that way, he wasn't going to bother, so he decided to just keep quiet. The door opened and the smell of nature wafted into the elevator. Will closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, filling his lungs with fresh air. It had been nothing more than a few days since he last visited the forest, but already he missed the placed. 

Cracking his eyes open, he noticed that Thane was off down the trail, heading towards the hill that the two had met previously. With hands in his pocket, Thane strode calmly through the slight undergrowth, listening to the crunching of leaves under his feet. Behind him, he heard Will trudging through the trail behind him, a few yards back. 

Somehow the detour wasn't turning out as Thane had expected. It was supposed to be a simple picnic of sorts, something like the time they first met, except with a little food and drinks. Of course, after the conversation in the car, Thane figured that the plan was no longer a wise thing, hence leaving everything he brought along in the car. He knew he was being stupid, but he didn't know why he was giving in to it. 

As Thane reached the spot on the hill where he had met Will, he looked out at the forest. After a moment, he sat down, circling his hands around his bent knees, locking them together. Will came and sat down beside him but not didn't say anything. 

The two remained in silence for a good fifteen minutes, simply enjoying the peace of the forest. Of course, the silence had to be broken sometime and Will couldn't take it any longer. "So, care to explain why we are here?" He asked. 

"I thought this was what you liked to do. Just come here to clear the mind." Thane replied, still not looking at Will. 

"Yes I do, but I'm sure that wasn't the reason you brought us here."

"Forget it, it was a stupid idea anyway. Just pretend that I came here to clear my mind too." 

"You know me, I don't get satisfied with vague answers like that." Will said, hoping that Thane would open up enough about his original intentions. 

"Trust me, you won't like the real answer." Thane said. 

"Try me." Thane looked over at Will, staring into those mesmerizing green eyes. Sighing, he knew that he had no restraint when it came to Will. 

"I brought you here for a picnic to try and get to know you better. In my brain, I didn't see it as a date or anything, or at least that was what I kept telling myself. After the whole thing in the car just now, I realized I should have known better." Thane was right about Will not liking the answer. Sure he may have suspected it but still, he wished that Thane didn't make it so difficult for him. "Your frown tells me what I already knew. I told you, you wouldn't like the truth."

"Why are you doing this Thane? You and I both know..." Will started but was cut off. 

"Yes I know okay!" Thane shouted, his voice suddenly a lot louder. "You think I don't know that we shouldn't take this further? I know that Will, I don't need you reminding me every time. I get reminded of that everyday I'm on Lunaris as it is. Do you think I like being gay? Do you think I like being attracted to you? For your information, I don't."

Not feeling at all pleased at being reprimanded for stating the truth, Will felt his own anger starting to boil. "Well excuse me, but you're not the only one with problems here. In case you didn't know, you're not the only gay person here. At least I'm trying to keep my attraction in check, unlike you. Yes I keep reminding you that we shouldn't, because it helps me remember that I shouldn't. Don't go and make me the bad guy here."

"Oh yes, I'm the promiscuous gay who can't keep his hands to himself. Maybe it's because I'm tired of thinking I'm worth less just because I'm gay. Maybe I'm sick of the fact that I feel so inadequate all the time, just because of that little facet of me. Maybe I've had it with hiding all the time." Thane said, heaving as he panted. "Yes, I regret kissing you. I regret kissing you because now I feel this gravitation towards you. I feel this need to be around you and the need to make you feel the same. I absolutely hate it, because I know that it will never be, and with you reminding me all the time, of what I know can never happen, I think I'm justified in getting a little pissed."

"Maybe you shouldn't have done that then, no one made you kiss me you know."

"Yeah I guess I was a fucking idiot, apparently too stupid to realize what a bad idea that was. Goddamn it, I wish I never even met you here." Thane exclaimed. 

"That makes two of us. You know what, forget it. Let's just get out of here." Will said, standing up and storming towards the elevator. As Will marched off in anger, he knew Thane wasn't following behind him but he didn't care. He would wait in the car if he needed to, anything to get away from the elite. He was fuming and a little time away from the source of his anger was just what he needed. 

"Argh fuck!!!" He heard Thane shout in the distance, his exasperated voice echoing through the quiet forest. Ignoring it, Will entered the elevator and headed back down to the hovercar. The way down, he tried to bring his anger levels down, trying his hardest to forget about Thane and his infuriating antics. However, try as he might, he was still fuming when he arrived at the hovercar. 

The door slid open and he entered, closing his eyes and leaning back against the seat, trying to calm down. "Where is Mr. Hopper?" The driver spoke up. 

"Should be on his way." Will replied, not saying anything further. Sure enough it was five minutes later when he heard the door open to his right. With his eyes closed, he couldn't see but he knew that Thane had entered the car. The sound of the door sliding close and the vehicle was off. He didn't want to speak to Thane; didn't want to even look at him, so he kept his eyes closed the journey back to Helios. 

As the car pulled into Helios Grove, Will opened his eyes. His door slid open and he stepped out, dragging his duffel bag with him. From the corner of his eye, he saw that Thane didn't move an inch, staring out his window not looking like he was exiting at all. Will would have asked if he was coming, but was in no mood to. Thane however, answered his unspoken question. "I've got some work to attend to. Steve will help you get settled in." Thane said, not even looking in Will's direction. With that, the door closed and the vehicle was driving away. 

Sighing, Will turned and headed into Helios Grove. Not a few seconds after entering did Steve come to greet Will. "Good morning sir. Good to see you again."

"Thanks Steve. Is Varek around?"

"I regret to inform you that Mr. Hopper has been called in on some urgent work matter. He did however, instruct me to settle you into your new room. He gave me explicit instructions to prepare the room beside Master Thane's so you two could get to know each other better." 

"Great." Will dragged, not concealing his sarcasm at all. 

"You don't sound too happy by that? Is there something wrong between you and Master Thane?" 

"It's a long story." 

"I see. Well whatever the case, I shall see you to your room now."

After being shown to his new room, the rest of the afternoon was spent with Steve, who was instructed to takes measurements for Will's new wardrobe. What Will thought was going to take a couple of minutes, turned into a couple of hours, as the droid took measurements of almost every nook and cranny of Will's body. If it had been a human at the other end of the measuring tape, Will might have felt violated.

The rest of the day was spent getting Will settled into his new living quarters. Strangely to Will, the day seemed to pass in a blur. Before he knew it, it was already pretty late, although it was still pretty bright outside. It's what you had to live with on Lunaris, when moon days are almost a month long. If you didn't pay attention to the time, you could easily burn yourself out. Will went down for dinner at which time, he saw Thane arrive back from whatever business he needed to attend to. 

Having the whole day to cool off, neither Thane nor Will felt anger towards each other anymore, instead being replaced by an awkward tension. Avoiding eye contact, both men walked past each other, not acknowledging the other's presence. Will was glad that they would at least not have to eat dinner together, with Thane disappearing upstairs to, Will assumed, return to his room. Will proceeded into the kitchen where Steve was staring at him. 

"What?"

"Oh nothing." The robot said, going back to preparing a plate for Will, making the young male raise a questioning eyebrow. Will took a seat at the kitchen island, eyeing the robot closely. Steve didn't have facial expressions, so he did have the advantage of the best poker face you would ever see, but you could still tell that something was bugging him. Eventually, Steve looked up and saw Will's intent gaze upon him. "So, you and Master Thane doing okay?"

"You saw us in the hallway just now, didn't you." Will deadpanned, continuing his stare on the android. 

"Okay fine, you caught me." Steve said, putting a plate of food in front of Will. Will looked down momentarily and saw the succulent filet of steak that sat on his plate, looking impossibly delicious, but even with a distraction like that in front of him, he needed some answers first.

"Okay, so what about it?" Will said, bringing his gaze back up to Steve.

"What happened between you two? This afternoon I sensed a lot of anger and just now it was so awkward I could not even compute." 

"Let's just say we both struck a nerve in each other, how about that. It led to some shouting and, I don't know, it just morphed into awkwardness." Will said, picking up his fork and pushing around the peas that were on his plate.

"I see. Maybe you should go talk to him then." Steve said. Will looked up and raised an incredulous eyebrow at him. "It was just a suggestion."

"You know, for a robot who doesn't have a nose, you sure can be nosey." Will joked.

"If I had feelings they would be hurt right now. Thankfully I don't. You can blame the nosiness on Varek. Word of advise, if you ever need a droid programmed, don't go to Varek." Steve said. Will could almost imagine the smirk that would have graced the robots features. 

Once done with the meal, which Will could honestly say was the best meal he had ever had, he headed back up to his room and collapsed on his couch. Will's room looked almost identical to Thane's, the only exception being the lack of Thane's retro recreational corner. As he sat there, he thought about Steve's suggestion to go talk to Thane. He didn't want to apologize because he didn't have anything to apologize for, but he did feel for Thane. Whatever Thane had said had some truth to it and he understood, but he just didn't fully agree with it. 

Sure he had enjoyed the kiss, and yes he had felt the pull of Thane ever since, but he knew that leading themselves on, to think that it could amount to anything further, was just deluding themselves. Still he did feel kind of bad for snapping at Thane. Sighing, he pushed himself off his couch, making his way to his door, sticking his hands in his pockets. He made the short distance to Thane's room, every second of the way contemplating if he should turn back. Eventually his courageous side won when he found himself knocking on Thane's door.

"Yeah?" Thane replied, his voice muffled through the door.

"It's me. Can I talk to you?" Will said, nervously shuffling his feet.

"Um...yeah sure." Will took that as cue as he opened the door. He looked in, finding Thane lying across his couch, a book nestled in his lap. "I was just doing some light reading." Thane said, sitting up and putting the book down on the coffee table. Thane motioned for the empty space next to him, wordlessly asking Will to have a seat. The smaller man followed the request, sitting on the couch but leaving as much distance between the two of them as possible. "So what did you want to talk about?" 

"I came to apologize, about earlier today. I had no right to snap at you and I'm sorry."

"Yeah I'm sorry too. I just...I don't know." Thane said, rubbing his hand over his face. 

"Did you mean it though?" 

"What?"

"That you regret kissing me." Will asked, unsure why he wanted to know, let alone care about the answer.

"No, I just said it in anger." Thane said, leaning back and throwing his head over the back of the couch.




The Lunar Life Ch. 04



"Initially, you wanted us to have this so called date, even though you knew that we shouldn't be getting involved with one another in that sort of way. Can I know why?" He was curious. He wanted to know the driving force that would make a person do something that they knew had almost no hope. 

"I already told you, I was tired of hiding. I still am. I thought that maybe it shouldn't matter. So what if I was gay, I should be able to live the way I want to." Thane paused, looking to Will, boring into his soul with those silver orbs. "I looked at you and I thought, maybe it would be worth it. Maybe you, would be worth it."

"But I'm not."

"I've known you for only three days Will, and yet those three days were the only days of my life that I had ever been completely honest with someone. With you I don't feel like I'm some mistake. I don't know about you, but to me that makes it worth it." Thane said.

Will closed his eyes, sighing. "I get it Thane but...how are we even gonna do this? Your reputation as an elite is at stake. I have just agreed to become an elite. I have enough eyes on me as it is, expecting me to become this version of myself that I never knew was possible. I don't need added pressures weighing down on me right now, at least not until I have some of everything that is happening to me figured out."

Just like that, reality was introduced back into the picture. Sure Thane would have loved to just fuck everything and go for what he wanted, but the simple truth was that he couldn't. He had said it before and he had to remind himself then. Being elite, everything about you is being judged.

"Can I at least ask you something?" Will didn't speak, waiting for Thane to continue. "If we didn't have to deal with all this, and in some strange universe, we could be whoever we wanted to be without a second thought, would I be able to hope for anything with you?" Thane stopped. He knew that in another world, he would have jumped at the opportunity for anything with Will, but he wanted to know if the feeling was mutual. He wanted to know, if Will saw him as important as he saw Will.

"Without so much as a stutter." Will said.

"I guess I can be contented with that. So, we're cool?" Thane asked. 

"Yeah." Will said, getting off the couch. 

"Wait, where are you going?" Thane asked, when he noticed Will about to leave. 

"Aren't we done here?"

"Well yeah but, we can always hang out. You know, like friends."

"You sure you want us to be closer than we already are? It's just gonna make it more difficult you know." Will said. 

"I know but please, stay. For the company." Thane said. Will contemplated taking a rain check, what with everything that had taken place that day, he felt that it was best if they had some distance. The look that Thane gave Will however, made him return to his seat.

"So, got a nice movie or something?" Will said, making Thane smile. 

They spent the evening watching a classic movie; Alien by Ridley Scott. It was that night that Will learnt that Thane loved both horror and sci-fi movies as much as he did, something he didn't mind having in common with the elite. No one Will knew personally, liked horror movies and finding out that Thane was a horror buff was refreshing. 

Ultimately though, Will was tired and he found himself dozing off halfway through the movie. Thane saw this, smiling at the sight of Will's head bobbing up and down as he drifted in and out of sleep. Eventually, sleep consumed Will as he lay his head down on the couch. Thinking that Will probably didn't want to watch the movie any longer, Thane turned the film off. 

Looking down at the peaceful sleeping form of the man in front of him, Thane couldn't help but smile at the sight. He got up and walked over to Will, picking him up as gently as possible, careful not to wake him up. Will stirred a little but otherwise, remained asleep. In his half sleep, Will curled closer to the warmth he felt surrounding him, nuzzling his nose into the comfortable heat. Thane blushed when Will placed his hand over his heart, letting it rest there, feeling the heat of Will's palm on his chest. 

He pushed ahead though, carrying Will to his own room. Pushing the door open with his foot, he eased into the bedroom, heading straight for the bed. By this time, Will had woken up but kept his eyes closed, feeling extremely comforted by the warmth of Thane's body. He liked it. He couldn't say it out loud, but he admitted it to himself. 

Carefully laying him down on the bed, Thane pulled the duvet over Will's sleeping form, not knowing that he was awake. "How you have change me, you don't even know." Thane whispered, before bending forward and giving Will a quick peck on the forehead. At this, Will opened his eyes, catching Thane off guard. "I'm sorry." Thane said quickly, turning to walk away, but not before Will grabbed his hand. 

"You changed me in the same way." Will said, pulling Thane closer. As if on instinct, Thane knew what Will wanted. He bent down, planting a small kiss on Will's lips. A quick sweet kiss, no longer than a second, and yet in a way, their most important kiss yet. The kiss that kind of said sorry and goodbye all in one. 

"Goodnight Will, and thank you."

"Goodnight Thane."



The Lunar Life Ch. 05



A week passed and things between Will and Thane weren't getting easier, but they weren't getting harder either. After their talk that night a week ago, the two had definitely tried to keep things platonic between them. Of course that wasn't very easy, seeing that the more time they spent together, the more the felt themselves falling for each other. Still, it was nothing that either guys couldn't handle. After all, they had a lot more pressing matters to attend to. 

Thane was kept busy with a new project that he was working with another elite called Tracey, who worked down at the hospital. Being elite, it was no surprise that Tracey looked like a model. She had a tall frame, almost 6'1" and had a body that could make guys melt as she walked by. With long blonde hair, a delicate jaw, sharp cheekbones and a straight nose, she looked beautiful. Her personality however, didn't really click with Will. She didn't seem to have this aura of professionalism that most other elites possessed, instead giving Will the impression of a mean popular girl from one of those old high school movies. All this was however, only what Will gathered from Thane's multiple bitching sessions about the girl. Will had only seen Tracey but had never met her in person so he couldn't really judge, but he trusted Thane enough to know that what he said was probably true.

Will, on the other hand, was busy with his lessons with Varek. So far, he had been brought to every important facility in the city centre, taught about elite etiquette, and almost everything elite you could think of. He had even started trying to find Will's specialization, something that Will himself wasn't sure of. 

With everything that he was expected to learn, it was no surprised that although it had only been a week, Will was thoroughly exhausted, physically and mentally. So a quiet night was just what Will needed. Varek had given Will the day off, giving him the opportunity to relax a little after what he knew was a very productive week. To Varek, Will had been the perfect understudy, despite being brought up a natal. Will was hardworking, enthusiastic and professional, something that made it a joy for Varek to mentor, so in his mind, it seemed only fitting to give the boy a break once in a while. 

So Will lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling. Sure he had spent a good portion of the day lazing around, but he didn't feel rested up at all. He had more than enough rest to recuperate from the exhaustion that was the week prior, but still he felt lethargic and tired, something which baffled him. A knock on his door drew his attention. "Come in." He announced. 

The door opened and stood at the doorway was Thane. "Hey."

"What's up?" Will said, hanging his head over the side of the bed, looking at Thane upside down. His eyes followed the elite as he made his way over to the couch. 

"Nothing. Just got back from the hospital. I seriously cannot wait to get this thing done with. I don't think I can take Tracey for much longer." Thane said, laying down on the couch.

"I can imagine." Will chuckled, returning his gaze to the ceiling. 

"Imagining is only half as bad as living it man. The girl seriously doesn't know when to stop talking." Thane sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Anyway, what about you. I heard Dad gave you a day off."

"Yeah. I don't know, seems so unproductive. I'm bored out of my mind."

"Wanna swap places, you go to the hospital and I laze around the whole day." Thane said, propping himself off the couch a little to look at Will. 

"I think I'm good."

"You could have come with me today you know. I'm pretty sure it would have been better than cooping yourself up in this room the whole day." Thane said, getting off the couch and walking over to the bed, sitting down next to Will. 

"Yeah well, I was exhausted. Plus, I wouldn't want to distract you from your work." 

"You distract me regardless whether you're there or not." Thane said, making Will blush. "I can't stop thinking about it."

"About what?" Will asked, pushing himself up to a sitting position. 

"Our kiss that night." Thane said, himself blushing a deep Crimson. 

"Oh?"

"Please don't think that I'm trying to make things difficult again. I swear I'm not. I just thought you should know." Thane defended, worried that Will was going to blow up again like last time. They had talked things out so Thane wasn't sure how Will would react with him bringing up the matter again. Will popped a side smile, letting Thane know that he wasn't angry. 

"Yeah well, I'd be lying if I say I hadn't been thinking about it either."

"Glad to hear." Thane said, heaving a sigh. "Well we better head down soon. Dinner should be about ready. I heard my mom's gonna be home tonight." Thane said, getting off the bed. 

"Hey, wait." Will said, jumping off the bed too. "Are you okay?" Will asked, concerned for the other man. 

"As okay as I'll ever be." Thane gave a small smile, but Will knew he wasn't happy. You didn't need a psychology background to see that. Feeling somewhat sorry for Thane, Will did something that he knew he was going to regret later. He leaned up and gave Thane a small peck on the lips. 

"Better?" Will blushed, making Thane smile, this time a more genuine one. Thane hadn't expected Will to do that, so imagine his surprise when Will suddenly gave him a small kiss. Yeah they couldn't be together, but knowing that Will was there at all should make him happy enough. Did he still feel a little sad by that fact, of course, but he reminded himself that he should be happy with what he had. 

"Much. C'mon, let's go." Thane said, exiting the room, Will at his heels. Will on the other hand, was feeling somewhat down on himself too, more because Thane was so down than anything else. He did feel somewhat responsible although it wasn't his fault at all, but still, it's Thane's attraction to him that caused it so he did have some role to play. 

"So you said you're mom's here today?" Will said, trying to divert the topic. The past week, the mansion had been totally devoid of Mrs. Hopper. Thane had mentioned to Will that his mother usually stayed at a small apartment near her work area so it wasn't unusual for her not to be home. 

"Yeah."

"Is it abnormal if I am getting a little nervous at meeting her again?" 

"After the great conversation you two had the last time? Why on earth would you be nervous?" Thane mocked. 

"You can pull back on the sarcasm. You're as bad as Steve." Will said, punching Thane in the arm. 

"I thought you liked his sarcasm."

"There something called too much of a good thing." Will said, finally reaching the kitchen. 

"What's a good thing?" Steve asked. Will was about to reply when the smell of food assaulted his senses. His eyes closed in euphoria as he breathed in the heavenly smell. 

"Whatever you're cooking. That's the good thing." Will said, mouth almost drooling. 

"Better grab a tissue before you form a puddle." Thane said, smirking as he walked over to the dinning table. 

"Make sure to get me a healthy portion." Will said to the robot, following Thane to the table. 

"Sure thing."

As Will took his seat beside Thane, Varek came waltzing in with Cassandra on his arm. "Ah, seems like we're last to arrive." Varek said, smiling as he walked Cassandra over to her seat. 

"Well it's always nice to be fashionably late." Cassandra said, smiling to her husband. It was the first time that Will had ever seen Cassandra smile, and he could honestly say that he preferred the look on her. Their first encounter made him think she was just scary. Now with that smile, she looked about as warm as his own mother. 

"A minute isn't really considered late Mom." Thane said, shaking his head. 

"Well, punctuality is everything on Lunaris." She replied as Varek took his seat beside his wife. Just then Steve came in, expertly balancing four plates in his arms, laying each down in front of everyone. Before quickly disappearing back into the kitchen. Will looked down at the plate of food in front of him and breath in the amazing smell. When he asked for a healthy portion, Steve really went all out, the portion on his plate a marked difference than the other three. 

"I see you like the food." Varek smirked, looking at Will's overflowing plate, making the young man blush. "Oh no need to be embarrassed. I'm happy that you're settling in nicely here."

"How could I not? What with the hospitality you all have shown me." Will said. 

"Oh before I forget, you're sister sends her regards." Cassandra said, directing her statement to Thane. At first, Will thought he heard wrong. 

"Oh? How is Alena doing?" Thane replied, basically confirming to Will that he had in fact heard correctly. 

"Good. She's coping well." Cassandra replied. Finally, the shock of it wore off and Will found himself able to speak. 

"Wait, you have a sister?" Will asked, eyes wide, looking to Thane. 

"Yeah. Didn't I mention that before?" Thane said. 

"No you didn't. I think I would have remembered."

"Hmm, well quite frankly I have other things on my mind so excuse me if I forget that fact." Thane said. Will knew the implications of Thane's comment. What with everything going on between the two of them, something like that could have been overlooked when your thoughts were dominated by only one other person. 

"Well with something like the hospital upgrade, I'll be surprised if you didn't have other things on your mind." Varek replied to his son, to which he just smiled and nodded in agreement, but Will knew the real reason. 

Sure, Varek might have bought the idea, but Cassandra didn't seem so convinced. As Will looked at her, her brows were furrowed as her eyes studied both him and Thane. A sideways glance and Will could see that Thane noticed his mother's intent gaze as well. Will thought that maybe Thane had been a little too careless with his easy comment. Cassandra after all, was a person who knew the human psyche inside and out. 

Feeling awkward under her long stare, both boys returned to their meal as Varek went on about something about work, apparently unaware of the building tension between the other three people at the table. Eventually, Cassandra broke her gaze, returning to her meal and listening to Varek as he spoke about something. Neither Will nor Thane were listening though, both slightly unnerved after Cassandra's evaluation. Both of them wondered what was going through the elite woman's head, her expression totally masking any indication of her thoughts. 

For there rest of the meal, she didn't give either boys a second glance, which both scared and relaxed Will. For one, she may have brushed off Thane's comment as nothing more than work related, like Varek thought. On the other hand, she may have just known enough that no further probing was necessary. Will prayed that it was the former though. The last thing he needed was for someone to know about their personal predicaments.

"I'm going to see if there's any dessert." Thane said, getting up and shooting Will a short look. Will immediately caught on. 

"I'll go with you." He said, getting up and following Thane into the kitchen. Entering, Will was glad that Steve wasn't there meaning that the two of them could talk in private. 

"Okay, I think my mom knows something's up." Thane said, turning to face Will. 

"No shit Sherlock. Did you see her staring at us? I can't tell what she's thinking."

"Yeah me neither."

"Some psychology specialist you are." Will said, expecting more from Thane. 

"Well excuse me. It's like an apprentice going up against a master. I have no chance. Plus it's your fault anyway." Thane said, pointing an accusatory finger at Will. 

"Wha...!" Will shouted before stopping himself when he knew he had been too loud. "What? You were the one who said you had other things on your mind." Will whisper shouted. 

"That was a totally open ended statement. Your expression after I said it on the other hand, let's just say you had it written all over your face." Will blushed at the comment, not realizing that that may have been what tipped Cassandra off in the first place. 

"Whatever it is, what are we going to do now?" 

"Act normal. That's the only thing we can do. She hasn't said anything yet so maybe we're just overreacting." Thane said. 

"Let's hope you're right." Will said, right before Steve stepped back into the kitchen. 

"Yes sir, how can I help you?" He asked. 

"Um, well we came here looking for dessert but we changed our mind." Thane said, quickly retreating back to the table. Will looked from Steve to Thane, unsure of what to do. 

"Um yeah, what he said." Will stuttered, awkwardly following Thane. Will cringed at his own reaction, knowing that if Steve were human, he would be raising an eyebrow about now. Making their way back to the dining table, both boys sat down. 

"No dessert?" Varek asked. Cassandra however, still didn't look in the direction of the younger men. 

"We changed our minds." Thane replied. Varek nodded. "So..." Thane began but was cut off by his mother. 

"Actually before we go on." Cassandra said, staring at the tabletop. "Is there something either of you want to tell Varek?" There it was, her ultimatum. 

"Not really, no." Both boys said simultaneously. 

"Really?" She said, looking to Thane, finally making eye contact. "Thane? Anything you want to tell your father?" Will looked over and saw Thane swallow the lump in his throat. Thane however remained silent, probably unsure what to say. 

"What's this all about Cass?" Varek asked, clearly confused at what his wife was prodding at. 

"Well, it seems that there is something going on between your son and your protégé. It seems they are attracted to each other." Cassandra said without so much as a flinch. At the words, the color drained from Thane's face and Will felt like throwing up the big dinner he just had. Varek turned from his wife to the boys in front of him. His eyebrows dipped as he thought about what Cassandra had just said. 

"Is it true?" He voiced, directing the question to no one in particular, but before anyone could reply he spoke again. "Actually, you don't even have to answer, because I know Cassandra isn't wrong. She never is about these kinds of things." Varek looked angry but not really at the same time. To Will, it was the first time he had ever seen Varek with anything but a smile on his face. "I want to see you both in my office." He said, walking off without another word, leaving Will, Thane and Cassandra seated at the table. 

Will turned to Thane who looked mortified. Putting a hand on his shoulder, Will shook Thane to recover him from his shock. "You okay?"

"I...I don't know." He said standing up. He avoided looking at his mother at all cost, feeling some anger directed at her for spilling the news in such a crude fashion. Will followed behind Thane as they made their way to Varek's office. He didn't know what to feel towards Cassandra. He wanted to feel anger towards her but really, all he felt was fear. What she did only proved to Will that she was a ruthless person, scary as he had initially thought. 

As they were about to exit the room, Cassandra spoke up. "Boys, hold on" She said, getting up and walking over to the two men. Neither looked at her, unsure of what she wanted to say. "I know you feel some animosity towards me for doing this, but you'll thank me for it later." Thane said nothing and continued his way to his father's office. Will followed behind but noticed Cassandra walking beside him. 

"How?" Will said, the only word he could utter. Will knew Thane could hear their conversation, being only a few feet ahead. 

"How I knew? Well first thing you should know about me, nothing gets by me." She said. "Plus, you are not that difficult to read William. I do apologize for the way I handled that just now though. I could have been a little more gentler." At her words, Thane let out a huff. "Now Thane, I have my reasons. Like I said, you'll thank me later."

The rest of the way to the office was in silence. Thane entered without a second look at his mother. Will made to follow suit but Cassandra stopped him. "I trust you'll take care of my son Will. He's very fond of you. I approve." Before Will could even respond to that, he was nudged into the office and the door closed behind him. He wondered if he just heard what he heard. 

Of course, he had no time to think though as Varek sat at his desk, hands locked across his chest as his face scrunched in thought. Thane sat silently across the desk and Will took the seat next to him. The expression on Varek's face wasn't one of anger, or any emotion to be accurate, a neutral look. Still, to the two men, the look so contrasting to his usual cheerful demeanor was such a huge difference, he might as well be scowling. 

"So, you two...are attracted to one another." Varek said.

"Yes but..." Thane started but Varek put a hand up to stop him. 

"Do you know what that means for you?" 

"Well not really, no but..." Thane said but was once again cut off. 

"Oh it's not good. Let me tell you, it's not good at all." Varek said. "Being elite, this is something many people cannot overlook."

"I know Dad. We've already decided that we're not gonna go any further." Thane said, fast enough to avoid being cut off. Will nodded in agreement, Varek's brows furrowing even more at the statement. 

"Really?" He said. Varek sat there staring at Will and Thane for a minute not saying anything. He opened his mouth once, about to say something before closing it again. 

"We'll try to be normal Varek." Will said, unable to take the silence any more. 

"I think being elite, normal is kinda out of the question here." 

"You know what he meant Dad. We'll keep our feelings buried. No one will know."

"Hmm, I want to tell you guys something. Something that they don't teach you in your CKT sessions. You see, before the migration, before Lunaris was even a thing, the human race was at an era of peace. Not like on Lunaris, but wars didn't exist and the world was generally stable. One aspect of that stability was relationships between people. Divorce was unheard of and, homosexuality was nothing out of the ordinary." Varek stopped, looking at the two boys. 

"Why are you telling us this?" Thane asked. 

"Just hear me out. After the migration however, focus moved to the repopulation of the human species, hence homosexuality became something of a liability. Many people, mostly elites, started viewing homosexuality as something that shouldn't be a facet of Lunaris, something like a flaw that needed to be stamped out. One of the people who share this sentiment is our very own president."

"Okay, but I don't get what you're getting at." Will asked. 

"Listen, yes Lunaris has taught you that being gay is wrong, but really it isn't. Our forefathers can attest to that. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I don't care, and I don't want you guys to pretend to be something you're not, at least not in this house." Varek stopped. 

"Wait what?" Thane asked, not really believing what he had just heard. His dad didn't hate him. 

"Personally I don't even think the repopulation excuse can even apply to elites. It's not like we depend on copulation to create the next generation, not in the way that natals do. Furthermore, I think that repopulation is more of the main focus for natals. We on the other hands have other things to worry about."

"Wait Dad, slow down. What are you trying to say here?"

Varek sighed, shaking his head at his son's inability to grasp his words. "What it means Thane, is that you two are free to date each other, if that's what you wish. Just keep it within the household, we don't need people snooping into this facet of your life."

"But..." Will started but didn't know what to actually say. 




The Lunar Life Ch. 05



"No buts, I want you two to be happy regardless of the circumstances." Varek smiled. 

"I...don't really know what to say." Will said. 

"I do." Thane said, getting up and walking over to his father. "Thanks Dad, you don't know what it means to me." He finished, giving his father a hug. Will felt his lips curl up in a smile.

"I think I do." Varek replied, patting Thane's back before releasing his son. "Quick question though, did you honestly think you could have kept this from your mother?"

"I guess it was stupidity on my part. Speaking of Mom, I think I should go talk to her, make sure she's okay with all this." Thane said. 

"I don't think you'll need to worry about that." Will said, suddenly remembering Cassandra's words before he was thrown into the tense meeting with Varek. "She mentioned some things before I entered just now."

"Oh? What did she say?" Thane asked. Will thought about telling him what Cassandra said, but he had no idea how to phrase it. She said she approved, but neither of them had even agreed to date yet. Will felt like if he said what she did, it was kind of jumping the gun a little. 

"Maybe you should still go talk to her. I don't really know how to put it in words." Will said, looking long into Thane's eyes, trying to convey to him not to push further. Thane apparently understood and simply nodded his head. 

"Okay you boys run along then, I'm sure you two have other more pressing concerns now." Varek said, ushering the two men out of his office. Will was unsure if the comment was a passing remark or carried a subtle hidden meaning, but before he could think too much about it, Thane guided him out of the office.

As the two guys stood outside the office, neither said anything, suddenly unsure of what to say. They had basically been given the green light to go ahead with their relationship, something that they thought was never possible. What do you say when you are given so much, in such a short span of time. Both of them was still trying to recover from the shock of it all, not to mention the glee that was starting to bubble in the pit of their stomachs. 

"Um...I think I'll go talk to my mom." Thane said. 

"Yeah I think that would be best. I'll just head back to my room." Will said, shuffling away towards his room. Out of nowhere, a hand wrapped itself around his wrist pulling him back. Next second, Will found Thane's lips pressed against his, immediately relaxing into the feeling. Somehow, kissing now didn't feel so wrong anymore, feeling more right than he ever thought possible. Thane gently broke the kiss, placing his forehead onto Will's. 

"I'll talk to you later." He whispered, giving Will one last peck before heading down the hall towards his mom. Will stood there, his lips tingling as he watched Thane disappear down the hall. Shaking his head, he quickly retreated back to his room, all he could think about was Thane. 

There were so many questions running through his head. What did it mean for them now? Varek had given the go ahead, Cassandra didn't seem to object and Will sure as hell wanted Thane, but the question if they should crossed his mind. Would it make things awkward between them? They were basically living next door to each other, if things didn't turn out well in the future, would it just make things weird?

And yet, every time Thane kissed him, he felt all the worries melt away. Thane made him happy, in a way that no one ever made him feel before. Thane made him feel understood. After so long of trying to hide the fact that he was gay, he finally met someone who felt the same. Finally met someone who he was attracted to and not only that, but was also attracted to him. 

Will then remembered the conversion he had with Thane a week back, about how if things were different, would he want to date Thane. The answer he had given was without a stutter, so he wondered why he was overthinking now. Life had given him the opportunity and here he was thinking if he wanted take it. 

A knock on his door stirred him from his thoughts. Will turned to see Thane peek his head in. "Hey."

"Hey. Come in." Will said, walking over to the couch and having a seat, crossing his legs underneath him. Thane entered, closing the door behind him as he made his way over to the couch, choosing a seat two spaces away from Will. Will raised an eyebrow at the obvious distance he put between them, almost chuckling at his almost bipolar attitudes. One minute he's forward and kissing him and suddenly he's being shy. "So you wanted to talk?"

"Yeah, I mean we should, shouldn't we?" Thane asked. 

"I guess. How did the meeting with you're mom go?" Thane smirked, the corner of his mouth curling into a smile as he stared at the floor. 

"Better than I had thought. She said, and I quote, 'you do know how to pick them'. Can't help but agree with that." Thane said, looking up at Will. Will on the other hand, found himself blushing. 

"So what happens now?"

"What do you want to happen?"

"Well," Will started, moving closer to Thane so he was sitting next to him. "I know that I enjoy you're company, and I definitely enjoy the kisses you give me every now and then."

"Oh?" Thane said, blushing. 

"So, Mr. psychologist, what do you make of that?" Will said, looking at Thane, waiting for him to make the next move. 

"I think you want me to kiss you now."

"Then what are you waiting for?" Will said, moving a hand up to Thane face, tracing his fingers over his cheek, circling to the back of his neck. He felt Thane move closer as he brought their faces closer, closing the gap between them. When their lips touched, it was like the first time all over again. If he wasn't sitting down, Will knew he's knees would have buckled, the kiss sending waves of euphoria through him. This time was different though, not rushed or intense, more a slow and sensual kiss and oh did it turn him on. 

He relaxed into the kiss, moving his other hand to Thane's hair, weaving his fingers through the fibers. Thane's hands in turn, moved from their positions by his sides, one resting on Will's thigh while the other rested against his waist. Deepening the kiss, Will opened his mouth, darting his tongue out to lick at Thane's lips, to which he responded by parting his lips. Theirs tongues fought for dominance as they wrestled, tasting each other in the process. 

Finally, Will broke away to catch his breath, his heart racing, Thane too, panting from the intense make out session. As Will stared into Thane's eyes, for once he allowed himself to drown in them, taking in their silver appearance. He could see the lust in them, much like he felt himself but he also saw something else, fatigue. Unlike him, Thane had been out the whole day and was clearly tired, although he didn't mention it. 

"You're tired." Will voiced. 

"No it's fine." Thane said, about to move in for a second kiss when Will put a finger to his lips, stopping him. 

"I'm not going anywhere. You should sleep first." Will said. Knowing there was no use in arguing, Thane dropped his head in defeat. He knew he was tired too but he also wanted Will so badly sleep almost became a second priority. "Come on." Will stood, pulling Thane with him as he made his way to the bed, pulling the shirt he had on off. Will slid in, motioning for Thane to hop in. Without a second thought, Thane followed, removing his shirt before climbing in as Will pulled the covers over them. Thane got comfortable, pulling Will to his chest and spooning the smaller man. 

"I'm afraid I'll wake up tomorrow and find out this has all been a dream." Thane said, nuzzling the back of Will's neck. 

"A dream come true." Will said as they both fell asleep, Will cozily wrapped in Thane's arms.



The Lunar Life Ch. 06



A light jab into his side woke Will up from his sleep. Blinking a few times, he let his eyes adjust as his vision came into focus. He brought his wrist up, looking at the digital display of his BIC, noting that it was eight in the morning. A small snore brought his attention to Thane still deep in sleep beside him, suddenly remembering everything that had happened the night before. A smile crossed his features, happy that the previous day had not been some weird dream. 

Will turned over, staring at Thane as he slept. His eyes traced the bridge of his nose down to his lips, which were currently parted slightly as he snored. He smiled again, thinking how cute his soft snore was. It wasn't obscenely loud but it wasn't inaudible either, but somehow it just reminded Will that the elite in front of him was still human. His gazed traveled upwards, seeing his closed eyes moving slightly behind his lids, probably dreaming. His hair was also messy, a contrast to the always neatly slicked back hair he always sported. 

Will just laid there, admiring the hunk as he slept. A part of him felt like a creep, watching someone while they slept, but the other part took it as appreciating a fine specimen when you could, much like appreciating art. He sighed in content as he carefully draped an arm across Thane's chest, careful not to wake him up, feeling the light spattering of hair there. Closing his eyes, he rested his head next to Thane shoulder just enough for his forehead to touch Thane's cheek. 

Thane remained asleep though and Will simply took the time to enjoy his presence. Suddenly getting to be able to do this gave him a newfound appreciation for the little stuff like that, spending a quiet morning in each other's arms. As he lay there, a thought crossed his mind. Even before all this, he knew he liked Thane, but suddenly after everything that has happened he started to see something he didn't before. A future. He knew if things continued like this, it would only be a matter of time before he fell for Thane. 

At that point, Thane jerked awake. Will shot his eyes open at the unexpected movement to see Thane looking around somewhat dazed. 

"Hey, you alright?" Will asked, making Thane turn his attention towards him. He took a moment to process before he shook his head. 

"Yeah, I just had one of those falling dreams." He said, bringing a hand up to Will's face. "I guess yesterday wasn't a dream after all."

"I guess not." Will replied, smiling. 

"I ever tell you I love your smile?" 

"Are you flirting with me Mr. Hopper?" 

"I guess I am." Thane smirked, bringing his lips forward to capture Will's in a sweet kiss. Will smiled into the kiss, feeling his happiness bubbling over. Breaking the kiss, Will looked into Thane's eyes. "So I'm assuming it's working?"

"If you're talking about the flirting, yeah it is." Will said, bringing their lips together once again. Feeling the sexual tension building between them, the kisses became less sweet but hungrier. Thane's soft kisses trailed their way down Will's jawline, coming to a stop just below his ear. By this time, Will was starting to swell in his pants, something that Thane made no pretense of not knowing, palming Will through the fabric. "Shall we continue what we started yesterday?"

Thane's sultry whisper set Will's lust ablaze, immediately pushing Thane onto his back, straddling him in a quick movement. He dipped down, bringing his lips back to Thane's, sucking on his lip. All the pent up sexual tension was oozing from his pores and he needed Thane with every fiber of his being. Laying his chest against Thane's, Will tried to increase the amount of skin to skin contact they both had, but somehow knowing that it was never going to be enough. He needed more. 

"You make me so hot." Will breathed out before attacking his lips once more. The kisses grew more intense and passionate as Thane started reciprocating, matching Will's intensity with his own. Will smirked when he felt Thane's bulge rub against his own, urging him on. Thane's hand had travelled to Will's back, running over the warm skin. A single hand dipped beneath Will's pant waist, snaking down to grab a globe of Will ass, making Will moan into his kisses. "I have never done this before."

"Neither have I. We'll play it by ear then?" Thane asked, the look in his eyes so full of lust it transferred to Will. 

"Sounds good to me." Will smirked. Taking Thane's words literally, he dove for his ears, nibbling lightly on his earlobe. Thane obviously liked it, judging from the thrusts of his hips, with every nibble on his skin. It was strange to Will though, knowing that although neither of them had any prior experience like this, they seemed to be able to piece together what would feel good. Maybe it was just a basic human instinct for procreation. 

Feeling like he was a little too close to the edge and not wanting it to end just yet, Thane mustered the strength he could to push Will off of him, instead climbing over him. He smirked down at Will, pleased at how the dominant role had been switched. It did make him feel in control, hovering over Will like that and he sure as hell wanted to do to Will what was done to him. 

Thane dove for Will's nipple, which was hard due to his arousal. He lightly bit on the nub, flicking it ever so often with his tongue, each time making Will buck his hips in ecstasy. Thane smiled, making sure to store every part that made Will tick in his brain. He wanted, needed to make Will high with pleasure. "I want you so much, you don't even know."

"I think I do and trust me, I want you just as badly." Will said, pulling Thane back up to his eye level. As their eyes locked, the world around them seemed to fall away. Their stares so intense, it seemed like nothing would be able to pry them apart. Will's hand snaked down the hard ridges of muscle along Thane's body, sliding over the tent in his trousers. A light squeeze was enough to break their intense stares, Thane's body immediately going weak at the touch.

Thane rested his head down onto Will, resuming his kisses, sucking and nibbling on Will's lips, which only spurred Will further. Through the fabric of Thane's pants, Will could tell that Thane was pretty well endowed at approximately 8", not surprising from a perfect human specimen. He would have felt conscious about his own size in comparison but he was feeling far too much lust to let his insecurities through. Eventually, his hand made its way underneath Thane's pant waist, his fingers wrapping around the thick piece of meat residing in them. 

"I want you to fuck me." Will whispered, just barely audible. 

"I was wondering when you were gonna ask." Thane smirked, immediately trailing down and getting to work on removing Will's pants. It took no more than a few seconds and Will was stark naked in front of Thane. Will could tell Thane's eyes focused on his hard 6" cock, simply staring. "Oh you look better than I could have imagined" Thane said, almost drooling with a crazy look in his eyes. Lust had definitely taken over him. "Maybe you should be one to fuck me."

"I don't care, pick one. I just need to feel you, now." Will cried out. He really couldn't be bothered who topped first, he just wanted something to happen, and quick. 

"So impatient. I like it." Thane said, dropping down and giving Will's dick a sloppy lick from the base all the way to the tip. Will shuddered in ecstasy when Thane's tongue circled his head, teasing the slit and tasting his precum, which he was generously leaking. Before he could tell what was happening next, he felt Thane's tongue drop to his hole, rimming rim and loosening him up. He was about to cum from just that but held on; oh boy did he hold on. 

"Seriously Thane, I can't hold out much longer." Will choked out, straining to hold back his fast approaching orgasm. Thane smiled, pulling away and positioning himself. Will felt Thane's cock at his entrance as he slowly pushed in. A combination of lust and the fantastic rim job had Will so ready, it slipped in easily. STDs were non-existent on Lunaris so condoms were not needed. Will felt slight discomfort but really, all he felt was full. He squeezed his ass muscles, trying to take in more of Thane, who understood and pushed further in. 

Thane made an attempt to wrap his hand around Will's hard on but Will swatted his hand away. "I'm way too close." He whispered, Thane immediately understanding. Thane too didn't want this to end so soon. Finally, Will felt Thane's pelvis against his thighs, knowing that Thane was fully inside him. He looked up at Thane and smirked, wiggling his hips ever so slightly, making Thane groan in pleasure

Thane moved his hips slowly, he too almost overwhelmed by the feeling of Will around him, sliding out and back in. Every few seconds, Will's muscles would spasm, squeezing him in ways he never thought possible. Feeling himself reaching climax, he increased the rhythm of his thrusts. Will cried out in pleasure when Thane hit his prostate, sending wave after wave of euphoria coursing though his veins. 

"Oh god, I'm close." Thane whimpered, slamming himself into Will. Will took the cue, wrapping his fingers around his dick and pumping himself in time to Thane's thrusts. A few pumps was all he could manage before his orgasm hit. Spurting thick ropes of semen across his body, Will rode out the sensations of the most intense orgasm he had ever experienced. His clenched muscles sent Thane over the edge as well, filling Will with his hot seed. 

Thane panted as he held himself over Will, his chest rising and falling to his deep breaths. He looked at Will underneath him, seeing his eyes closed as he tried catching his breath as well. Bringing a finger across Will's chest, Thane scooped up some of Will's cum, bringing it to his mouth and sucking on it. "Sweet."

"You're disgusting." Will laughed as he pushed Thane off him. The bigger man fell to his side, staring at the ceiling, still recovering from the climax he had just experienced. "I take it you enjoyed that?" Will playfully remarked. 

"Don't sass me mister." Thane laughed, resting his head on Will's shoulder. Before Will could say anything else, Thane's BIC started beeping. "Oh come on, can't I get a break?" Thane complained, seeing Tracey's name on the screen. For a moment, Thane contemplated ignoring it, but decided to be polite, bringing his wrist up and swiping across the screen. "What's up Trace?"

"Hey Thane, just like to confirm if you're coming down to the hospital later." The sweet voice sounded from the little device's speakers. 

"Yeah, I'll be there. I want to get this done with." Thane said, in his mind thinking that the sooner he got done with the project, the lesser he had to have contact with Tracey. 

"Are you okay? You sound a little winded." Thane shot Will a mischievous look. 

"Yeah I'm fine. Just got done with an intense workout." Thane said, smirking and wiggling his eyebrow suggestively at Will. Will chuckled, but quickly swallowed it, not wanting Tracey to hear him over the BIC. 

"Is someone with you?" Tracey asked. 

"No." 

"Oh, I could've sworn...nevermind. I'll see you later then."

"Yeah sure." Thane hung up, turning to look at Will. "Could you have laughed any louder?"

"It was nothing more than a slight chuckle. I'm surprised she even heard it." Will defended. 

"Well, she does seem to evolve characteristics that are advantageous to her snooping abilities. The girl's a little too nosey for her own good." Thane said. 

"She's really that bad huh?"

"You have no idea. So, what are your plans for today? You know, besides have the best sex in your life." 

"Don't flatter yourself, and I don't know. Varek didn't tell me anything, not surprising after the events that transpired last night." Will said. 

"Well, we should get cleaned up." Thane said, giving Will a quick peck on the lips. "Unless you want to go for round two." Will raised an eyebrow, bewildered at Thane's comment. 

"Whoa there, I know you were made perfect and everything, but us normal people can't recover that quickly, especially not after a first round like that."

"So you did like it." Thane said, like the fact wasn't known. 

"Like you didn't know that."

"Oh I knew it, but as I have said before, it's always nice to hear it too." Thane smiled cheekily up at Will. Will chuckled, putting his palm across Thane's face and lightly pushing it away. 

"C'mon perfect boy, let's go shower." Will said, climbing out of the bed and heading for the bathroom. 

"Don't have to ask me twice." Thane said, all but throwing himself out of bed. Coming up behind Will, he wrapped his arms around the smaller man, lifting him just enough that his feet left the floor. 

"What are you doing?" Will chuckled but otherwise let Thane do what he wanted to. He couldn't escape even if he tried so he didn't bother. 

"What does it look like I'm doing dumbass, I'm carrying you to the shower." Thane said matter-of-factly, as he carried Will into the large shower, releasing him gently. His hands moved to the shower interface, a touch screen that controlled the temperature of the water, punching one last button, which caused water to shoot from the showerhead. 

Turning to face Will, Thane smiled, seeing as the water trickled down Will's body. He moved one hand up, running the back of it across Will face. Wrapping his arms around Thane's neck, Will pulled Thane down to him, locking their lips together. Water fell onto Thane, streaming down every hard ridge of his muscled form, beading on the hairs that covered his chest. 

"Turn around." Will whispered, guiding Thane to turn so he had his back to him. With Thane facing the other way, Will hugged Thane to his body, wrapping his arms around his torso, his fingers trailing up and down his midsection, memorizing every curve. Resting his head on Thane's back, Will felt at peace for some reason, knowing that he could hold Thane like that gave him extreme pleasure. 

"Maybe we should actually start showering before we're late?" Thane suggested. 

"You do what you want, I just want to hold you." Will said. Thane smiled in response, shaking his head lightly, his hands moving to the shower interface. Pressing a button, the water mixed with soap, washing over them, strong with the scent of flowers. Will's wandering hands massaged the soap into Thane's skin, lathering up as he cleaned Thane. Thane's hands moved to Will thighs, rhythmically running his hands up and down his smooth skin. All the while, Thane could feel Will's growing member pushing between his thighs. 

He turned around, lightly pushing Will against the shower wall, giving him a passionate kiss. He let his soapy hand move to Will's member, wrapping his long fingers around the flesh, pumping slow and purposeful. Will moaned into the kiss, his mind going blank with pleasure. Hands roamed each other's bodies as each tried to take in the other person in front of them. Will's fingers snaked their way down Thane's butt crack, slick with soap and tingling with anticipation. Brushing lightly over his rosebud, Thane bucked his hip into Will, his lips never leaving Will's. 

Will circled his middle finger around the tight opening, feeling Thane twitching at his touch. The speed of Thane's hand on his dick had also increased, bringing him closer to a second orgasm within the hour. Thane's constant moaning only spurred Will further on, slipping the tip of his finger into Thane. 

"Oh fuck yeah." Thane exclaimed, jacking Will off with renewed fervor. As both men gave in to their desires, they felt their hands moving on their own accord. Will pushing his fingers further into Thane while Thane pumped Will at increasing speeds. 

"Shit." Will exclaimed, his orgasm hitting as he coated their bellies with his cum. Striking his prostate sent Thane over the edge too, sending ropes of semen splattering against their chests, the results of their intense orgasm mingling with each other. 

"So much for not being able for round two." Thane smirked, giving Will one last kiss. 

"Let's just say, maybe sometimes you can always give a 110%." Will smiled, catching his breath. "Now, we can shower." Will said, pushing Thane back into the water stream. 

The pair showered fast enough, soon out of the shower and drying themselves. Changing however, took slightly longer than anticipated, with both of them finding all sorts of ways to put on clothes sexily, much to the delight of the other. Think of it like stripping but in reverse. 

"It's kinda unfair though, I mean look at you. You look like a god. You just pull up your pants and it looks hot." Will said, sore that he had lost their unofficial competition. 

"Aww don't feel bad, at least you get all this to yourself right." Thane said, motioning to his body, a triumphant smile on his face. 

"Wipe that smile off your face. C'mon lets go." Will said, walking out the room and down the stairs. He headed for Varek's office, knowing that he would already be there, like any other day. Thane followed close behind, observing Will's ass in his new form fitting elite wear. "I can feel your eyes Thane." Will said, without even a glance behind. 

"I wasn't doing anything." Thane played ignorant as Will came to a stop outside Varek's office. The only reply he got was a raised eyebrow from Will, before he proceeded to knock on the door before entering. Inside, Varek was at his desk, speaking to someone over his BIC. Seeing Will at his door, Varek put a finger up, signaling for Will to hold on. 

"Yes will do. I'll see you later." Varek said, ending his BIC call. 

"So Varek, what's the agenda for today?" Will asked. 

"Well seems like I have something come up which I have to attend to." Varek's eyes travelled to his son standing by the doorway. "So Thane, I'm putting you in charge of Will today. Bring him with you to the hospital and get him acquainted with the hospital ins and outs. Brief him about the details of your project too."

"Wait, you want me to mentor him?" Thane said, holding out a finger to point at Will. 

"Yes. I think it's more productive than giving Will another day off, wouldn't you agree Will." Varek said, looking expectantly at Will.

"Actually I wont pass on another off day." Will said, smiling innocently.

"Nice try but you're still going to the hospital. Besides, I thought you boys wouldn't mind spending more time with each other." Varek gave both boys a mischievous look, subtly hinting the double meaning of his statement. Both boys blushed a deep crimson, embarrassed.

"Dad, just no." Thane said, covering his face and turning around, heading anywhere his father wasn't. All Varek did was laughed in reply, turning his gaze to Will.

"I think that's you're cue to follow, Will." Varek smirked. Will nodded, taking his leave. "And please, try to be discreet while you're out. Don't need other people to see whatever it is the two of you do behind closed doors." More blood rushed to Will's cheeks, making him look as red as a lobster.

Quickening his pace, he marched after Thane, trying his hardest to get away from Varek's embarrassing words. "Dads." Thane said after finally feeling at a safe enough distance from his father. Will shrugged his shoulders, shaking his head. "Well anyway, seems like you're in my care today then Mr. Harrison. Don't worry, you can just call me teacher, that will do."

"Oh ha ha. If you think I'm gonna quietly be your obedient student, you've got another thing coming bud." 

"Well, I can always punish you later for it." Thane whispered, so close to Will's face that his breath tickled the skin. Goosebumps erupted across Will body, making him shiver slightly.

"You're worse than your father." Will said, pushing past Thane as he made his way towards the kitchen, for a quick breakfast before they had to leave. The dynamic between both boys had definitely changed since just the day before, when they were still trying so hard to keep their mutual attraction to each other under wraps. They no longer had to hide behind the facade, but even so, nothing much had changed really. Everything was still the same, just that they now had the liberty to express what they felt. Everything down to the occasional lighthearted insults both men threw at each other during the course of breakfast, was normal day-to-day routine.




The Lunar Life Ch. 06



That fact, made both men happy inside, even though neither of them voiced this.

Before, both of them had been scared to be who they were, in the back of their mind, seeing that if word were to get out about their orientation, their whole world would have turned upside down and inside out. Now that it was out in the open and they could still behave normally brought them insane amounts of relief.

Of course, that's not to say that everything was as it was before. There were definitely a few distinct differences here and there. One of them, was the fact that both Thane and Will seemed to also be connected at one point or another when they were alone. During breakfast, their legs were intertwined under the table and during the car ride to the hospital, their hands found themselves locked together between them. In a way, it was kind of an addiction on their parts, and who could really blame them. It was only natural that, when tempted for extended periods of time, the desire for said stimuli, only grows stronger. Like hanging a tasty treat in front of an animal, always just out of reach.

But alas, like all addictions, you had to know when to stop. In their case, the public was the intervention in their little addiction. Varek had, with right reason too, told them that it was best not to let their relationship be known to the general public, and that was definitely advice they were going to heed. So when their hovercar pulled into the parking lot at the hospital, their hands finally unclasped each other, not before a quick kiss though.

The pair made their way to the elevator, returning to their mask of colleagues rather than lovers. It wasn't difficult for them too, with almost everyone they passed being too busy being to notice them walking by, let alone notice if they had any sexual tension between them. Well all of them, except one particular elite of course. The only person to even noticed their presence there.

"There you are. For a moment I thought you weren't gonna come." Tracey said in her overly chirpy voice. 

"I said I'd be here didn't I?" Thane replied.

"Well I know that, I just...ugh nevermind." She stopped, looking past Thane and looking to Will. "Oh? Who is this? You didn't say you were bringing anyone."

"Oh right. Tracey, this is Will Harrison." Thane stepped aside, introducing us. Will extended his hand and smiled.

"Wait, Will Harrison? As in natal to elite Will?" Tracey asked, looking at Will in surprise. He nodded, feeling a little awkward looking at his outstretched hand, which Tracey had totally ignored. He cleared his throat and slowly lowered his hand. 

"So you know about me?" Will asked, trying to dissipate the awkwardness he was feeling. 

"Well duh. You're like the hottest elite gossip right now." Tracey said. In Will's mind, he finally had proof of all the stuff that Thane had told him about the girl. She really didn't behave like an elite that's for sure, something that Will wasn't sure how to feel about at the moment. On one hand, it was kind of refreshing but on the other, it just made him feel uncomfortable for some reason. They stood there for a good few seconds not saying anything, simply staring at each other.

"Anyway Trace, my dad's mentoring him and he's busy today, so I've been tasked to brief him on the basics." Thane interjected, sensing the awkward tension emanating off of Will, deciding it was time to bail Will out, even though he was having quite a bit of enjoyment watching Will squirm. He shot a small smirk at Will, and Will immediately got what was running thought Thane's mind, narrowing his eyes at the elite, silently scolding him.

"Ah, well before you do that, we need to discuss something about the project." She said, turning on her heels, the other two following behind.

"I swear I'll hurt you so bad later." Will whispered to Thane.

"I'll hold you to that." Thane whispered back, winking, making another blush creep onto Will's face. 

"What are you two whispering about back there?" Tracey asked, turning her head back just enough to glance behind while still seeing her way forward in her peripheral vision.

"Nothing." Both men said simultaneously. 

Thane didn't notice but Will did. The slight suspicious glint in Tracey's eyes as she looked at them. Will pretended he didn't notice, taking in his surroundings in an attempt to appear nonchalant. Tracey turned back to face forward, but Will could tell she knew something was up. Turning to Thane, Will motioned to Tracey with his head, silently conveying to him about her suspicions. Thane's head moved to Tracey, before turning back to Will.

'Really?' He mouthed, obviously missing the look that Tracey had given them.

'Looked like it.' Will mouthed back. Thane nodded slowly and slowly drifted slightly further away from Will. Through Thane's reaction, he only now realized that they had been standing a little too close together. He sighed and shook his head, continuing following Tracey.

Leading them to a quiet room, she stopped and turned, all the while going on about the details of the project to Thane. Every few seconds, her eyes would dart to Will for a split second before returning to Thane. This detail wasn't lost on either of them and nerves definitely started to act up, not only in Will but Thane as well. What bothered them most was not the fact that Tracey suspected something, but that they didn't know what it was she suspected. She could suspect that Will was a robot for all they cared, as long as it didn't involve them being in a relationship.

Tracey's lack of subtlety didn't add any sense of security whatsoever, what with her shifty eyes. The drastic change in her behavior didn't seem to be a coincidence either. Thane was used to her being an annoying, overly peppy girl but the quiet, contemplating girl was something that threw him off on so many levels. You could almost see the wheels turning in her head.

Eventually, Will turned to the cabinet located within the room, anything to keep his attention off Tracey, who was making him a nervous wreck. Picking up a book from the cabinet, he flipped through the pages but didn't take in anything of what it was about, his brain fretting too much over the female elite a few feet from him.

Unable to be in the same room any longer, Will had to excuse himself. He had to leave to try and compose himself. Thane clearly noticed everything too, but he seemed a lot better at keeping himself in check. "Excuse me while I go to the bathroom." Will said, leaving the room before anyone else could so much as utter a word in reply. 

Exiting the room brought immediate relief to Will, no longer feeling so suffocated in the tense environment, but everything wasn't fine and dandy just yet. Feeling better, yes, but still not good enough to function properly. Swiftly swerving in and out of the various hospital staff, he made his way to the nearest bathroom, entering to find that, to his relief, it was empty.

Taking deep breaths, he forced himself to calm down as he supported himself against the sink, continuously rationalizing in his mind, that there was no way Tracey could know anything. There was no way. But then again, what else would she be suspecting. Paranoia dominated his being, constantly telling him that, yes she knew and she was going to do something to ruin everything. She was going to tell everyone and then life would definitely change.

The splash of cold water against his face helped knocked these thoughts from his head however. He needed to think logically and being paranoid wasn't helping him one bit. There was no point in fretting so much. Part of him suddenly wondered, if it was so bad if it got out. I mean sure Varek said it was best to keep it under wraps, but if it managed to slip out, he wondered if it would actually be as bad as he envisioned. Of course, he didn't know the answer to that. No one did, because as far as he knew, nothing like this had been documented thus far. 

Still, Will had every right to panic, even if just a little. He had just been given something that he had never thought was never even a possibility, let alone achievable. He had Thane and, at least at Helios Grove, could fully and wholeheartedly be who he was. Suddenly, one appearance in public with each other, and already something was going wrong. It was enough to make anyone paranoid, let alone someone who was still trying to fit into this new lifestyle of being elite. 

"Calm yourself Harrison. It's nothing." Will said to himself, as he looked at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. Smoothing his hair back, he took one last deep breath and sighed on the exhale. Shaking whatever bad thoughts from his head, he straightened up and marched out of the bathroom.

He took his time making his way back to the room though. Sure he felt better and he put away those thoughts, but he didn't have to torture himself longer than was necessary. He walked past nurses, dressed in the uniform he was so used to seeing, his own mother coming home many days still wearing it. No one paid him any mind, simply going about their own business and it calmed Will even further.

Maybe it was just Tracey being her nosey self. If you spent so much time being obsessed with other people's business, you just grew sensitive to it, and maybe that's why Tracey was being so suspicious about them; It wasn't that they were obvious or careless about the whole situation. At least that was what Will told himself in his mind. He counted himself lucky, since mind reading was not a trait possessed by elites.

Feeling a whole lot better than he was just minutes before, he stopped at the door he had barged out of a few moments earlier. His hand was already on the handle, about to enter when a voice stopped him.

"Will?" Will turned towards the familiar voice, silently cursing the odds. So much for not meeting anyone who could read his mind, he had to bump into the one person who could. 

"Hi Mom."



The Lunar Life Ch. 07



As Will stood there, hand on the doorknob, staring at his mother just a few feet away, he didn't know what to feel. Part of him was glad to see his mother, definitely missing his parents a little since he had left for elite life, but the other part wanted nothing more than to run for the hills. Being his mother, Sarah always had an uncanny ability to read what Will was thinking, something that made her a great parent in Will's eyes, but as of that moment, it was nothing more than a skill that Will wished she never possessed. 

"Hi Mom." Will greeted, putting on the most genuine smile he could muster. "What are you doing here?" He asked, knowing immediately what a stupid question it was. 

"I work here remember? I should be the one asking you that question." Sarah said, raising an eyebrow at her son. 

"Right, um...I'm here for training purposes." Will said, walking over to his mother. 

"Ah my elite son, doing what he needs to do." She smiled, doing the usual motherly inspection of her kid. "Look at you, looking so sharp in you're new clothes." She cooed, clasping her hands on Will's shoulder as she gave him a once over. 

"Mom, stop it." Will laughed. "How's everything back home? How's Dad." 

"Everything is just fine. The house is a little quiet since you left but nothing we can't handle. What about you, everything going well with this whole elite thing?" 

"Yeah I guess you could say that." Will replied, leaving out all the ups and downs that he had experienced since moving into Helios Grove, all of which had to do with the elite currently standing in the other room. 

"That's good to hear." She said, wrapping her arms around Will as she hugged him tight. "I've missed you."

"Me too Mom." Will smiled, returning the warm embrace of his mother. 

"Okay so I'll just head down to the systems mainframe and get this done. If you'll go input the codes into the hospital records, everything should be up and running by today." Thanes voice filled the hallway as he exited the room, Tracey quick at his heels. 

"Yeah no problem. Can't wait to get this over with." Tracey beamed in her overly excited tone. 

Will turned as he was coming out of his embrace, just in time to see Thane looking in his direction.

"Oh just who I wanted to see. Sarah, can you get me the files labeled HS-121 on my desk and bring it to the records room. Thanks." Tracey said, turning even before waiting for a reply and strode down the hall.

"Sure." Sarah replied, a little too late as Tracey disappeared around the corner.

"Does she always talk to you like that?" Will asked his mother, his brows furrowed.

"Nah, she actually a pretty nice girl. Just a little aloof sometimes. Don't worry about it."

"You sure? Because..." Will started but was cut off.

"Will, it's fine. I can take care of myself." She smiled. Her eyes moved a little, looking past Will just behind him. Will turned, seeing Thane standing there, a smile plastered on his face. 

"Oh right, um Mom this is Thane, son of the elite mentoring me. Thane, this is my mother." He introduced.

"Nice to finally meet you Mrs. Harrison." Thane said, stretching out his hand, to which Sarah returned the handshake.

"Nice to meet you, but I've got to say, I've never heard an elite call me Mrs. Harrison before." She said. As a natal working in a hospital that was frequented by many elites, she had always been addressed by her first name. On the other hand, natals were required to address elites by their last name preceded by an honorific. Just another example of the difference in social classes on Lunaris.

"Well, manners maketh man." Thane said, making Sarah give Thane an approving nod.

"Well then how should I address you then." 

"Thane will be just fine ma'am."

"Thane here doesn't believe in the distinction between social classes." Will explained to his mother.

"Well it's not everyday I get surprised by an elite, so congratulations Thane." She said, smiling warmly to Thane. "But I should get those files for Ms. Beckard, do excuse me gents."

"Sure Mom, I'll talk to you later." Will shouted to his retreating mother. 

"I like her. Reminds me of you." Thane said. 

"Oh you have no idea. She's more opinionated than I am." Will said, turning as Thane directed him down the hallways. "Anyway, I'm relieved she didn't start giving me the shifty eyes that Tracey had been giving us all day."

"You noticed that too huh."

"How could anyone not. The girl isn't very good in the art of subtlety." Will quipped, to which Thane let out a laugh. "Can't say that I'm not a little worried though."

"A little? You practically left the room before you had a panic attack about it." Thane smirked. 

"Yeah yeah, I'm not as good as you in keeping my emotions in check, Mr. psychology." Will rolled his eyes. "And don't act like you're not a little bit worried about Tracey."

"Okay fine, I am a little on edge about the whole thing too, but what can we do besides pray that she can keep her mouth shut. That is asking a lot when it comes to Tracey, need I remind you." Thane replied, and for the first time that day, Will could really tell that Thane was indeed genuinely worried too, although he was a lot better at hiding it.

Will shrugged his shoulders, dismissing the subject as the pair made their way through the hallways of the hospital on their route to server room. "You know, all this talk about this project and I don't even really know what's it about?" Will said as he entered the room, which was cramped with computer hardware from the floor to the ceiling. Column after column of electronics, with little wiring leading from one module to the next, lined the huge room. Little blinking lights shined through the dimly lit room and the humming sound of small fans in the servers filled the space. 

"The hospital is putting in place a new droid system which complements the human element of the hospital. These droids would have excess to the vitals of the all the patients as well as serve as an assistant to the nurses here. In doing so, we hope to achieve a much shorter ward time and increase patient satisfaction." Thane recited from memory, the lights in the room brightening with the entry of two new occupants. 

"Wait but aren't the nurses already able to do that?" Will asked, recalling that all nurses of duty carried a tablet with all their respective patients vitals. 

"Yes, but a human can only focus on so many things at a time. The droid however, is programmed to not only alert when a patient has any critical vitals but also even predict it. That's where Tracey comes in."

"You need to elaborate a little more for me."

"You see, her father created the vital monitoring software in our BICs, and by extension, helped with the development of the hospital's healthcare network. She, being his daughter of course, is able to have excess to the vitals of every single Lunarision, unlike the nurses who only have excess to the patients currently warded. Basically she is one of the few people who are authorized to program anything into this system, hence why she's here. Doesn't hurt that she's a doctor too."

"It's hard to imagine someone like Tracey having such a huge responsibility. From the way she acts, you'd think that the only thing she is responsible for is her hair." Will said, making Thane chuckle as he sat down at a desk in the far right of the room, the interface immediately coming up in front of him. 

"As for me, I'm here to program the droids to function in the way they're intended to. You know, fine tuning their AI and stuff. Basically I handle the electronic and programming stuff while Tracey handles the medical stuff." Thane said as his fingers worked like lightning over the touchscreen interface, opening lines of code and tweaking them before switching over to another.

"You know, I know elites are like super geniuses and stuff but seriously, how am I supposed to be like you guys." Will sighed in frustration. Sure he had been learning more and more each day about the runnings of Lunaris, and he hadn't even settled on a specialization yet, but he felt like this was just too much for him. He wasn't genetically gifted and he didn't have the years of training that elites had. Sometimes it felt like the task was just too much for someone like him. 

In the whole time he had known Thane, or Varek, or any other elite for that matter, he had never seen any of them work in an environment like this. It was always more of general stuff and elite etiquette and all that. Seeing Thane, even Tracey, with their minds on the project and the scary efficiency that they carried out their tasks, Will wondered if he could ever hope to reach that same level. 

"Is something on your mind?" Thane said as he continued his work on the server, his eyes never leaving the screen. 

"I'm just wondering if I made the right decision, becoming elite." Will said and immediately, Thane stopped and looked to him. 

"Why would you think that?"

"It's just, sometimes I feel so...inadequate." At those words, Thane got up and walked over to Will, hugging him tight. 

"Don't say that. You're here for a reason. The test definitely thought so, and so do I. So don't, okay?" Thane said, placing a kiss on Will's forehead. "If you didn't become elite, I wouldn't be here with you now, holding you like this. If you didn't become elite, I would still be hiding behind a facade. If you didn't become elite, I wouldn't be happy, like I am whenever I'm with you. So don't discount yourself, because to me, you becoming elite was the best thing to ever happen to me."

"Thanks Thane." Will said as he laid his head against Thane's chest, wrapping his arms around his waist. 

"It will take time Will. You became elite not but two weeks ago. No one, not my dad, not me, is pushing you to become a full fledge elite in this short amount of time. The elite community is still reeling from the fact that a natal could even be eligible for elite status, let alone integrate immediately into our life. So don't stress yourself out about this okay? We're all here to support you. I'll be by your side every step of the way." Thane smiled down at Will. 

"Who knew you were such a romantic?" Will said, returning the smile Thane gave him. Thane was about to lean down for a kiss when the room door opened, both boys jumping away from each other as a nurse entered holding a file in her hand. 

"Mr. Hopper, Ms. Beckard told me to get this to you. She said that you have to input these into the system to allow the droids to excess the medical record system." She said calmly, obviously not noticing awkward tension between the two men standing in from of her. 

"Right, thank you." Thane said, collecting the file as the nurse turned and exited. 

"Maybe that's a sign that you should get back to work." Will said, sighing in relief. 

"Maybe." Thane chuckled, returning to his position at the desk. 

The rest of the afternoon flew by as Will watched Thane go about his work. Once in a while, Thane would distract himself from the project long enough to explain a facet of the hospital to Will. Will managed to catch lunch with his mother too and although Thane wanted very much to join Will, Tracey had other plans for him, pulling him away. 

Through lunch, Sarah threw question after question to Will regarding his new life as an elite, delving into detail about Varek and Thane. Varek, Will had no problem talking about, as with any other facet of his new elite life, but whenever Sarah veered the conversation to Thane, Will said a couple of lines before quickly changing the subject. He didn't even realize he was doing it, subconsciously trying to avoid any conversation to do with Thane for fear that he would let something slip. The transitions were natural enough that any normal person wouldn't have realized it, but this wasn't any ordinary person, but his mother and Sarah could tell that her son wasn't being truthful to her, although she didn't let it on. 

After lunch, Will met back up with Thane, his mother by his side. 

"So what time do you get off work today?" Will asked his mother. 

"In about two hours." Will thought about it for a while, thinking that he hadn't seen his father and would have loved to. Will excused himself and went up to Thane. 

"Hey, do you mind if we send my mom home today? She'll get off work in around two hours and I kinda wanna see my dad too." Will asked. 

"Yeah sure, no problem, we'll be about done at that time too so why not." Thane smiled. 

"Thanks man." Will said, returning to his mother. "Hey Mom, you can hitch a ride with us once you're done."

"Oh Will, you don't have to. I don't want to impose on you or Thane."

"It's fine Mom. I've been meaning to see Dad anyway. Besides, Thane has given me the go ahead."

"I guess I don't see a point in arguing about this." Sarah conceded. 

"Yep. So I'll call you when we're done?"

"Yeah okay. See you later." Sarah said as Will turned and returned to Thane. 

The next two hours were spent finalizing everything on the droids. They fired them up and tested them a little in the wards and they seemed to be going without so much as a hitch. Some of the nurses even seemed a little impressed at how well the droids were able to keep up, particularly in the emergency ward. Tracey, of course was bouncing around in glee, happy to see the fruits of their labor come to fruition. Thane in contrast, expressed his happiness in a more subtle and professional manner. Of course that only left Will, feeling somewhat in awe.

"And that's a wrap people." Tracey beamed, turning to Thane.

"Well it's been a somewhat bumpy ride but I'm glad that it's done." Thane said. Will raised an eyebrow at Thane, knowing that what he really wanted to say was probably 'I'm glad I don't have to work with you anymore'. Thane noticed the look too, and gave a slight smirk.

"And not to mention that Will here, got to enjoy this momentous occasion. Isn't that right Will." Tracey said, looking expectantly at Will, to which he gave a polite affirmation. However, even Will could hear the slight undertone of Tracey's voice. Apparently, she hadn't given up on her suspicions and had even decided to be slightly more brazen and forward, obviously trying to hint at something from her choice of words. When Thane said nothing in reply, Tracey simply smiled innocently. "Well then, I guess we're done here. I'll take my leave. Bye Thane. See you around Will." Tracey said, turning gracefully, not even attempting to hide the glint in her eyes as she looked at the two men.

"She definitely knows something." Will said as he watched Tracey waltz away down the hall. 

"Don't be too paranoid. It's probably nothing." Thane said, putting a reassuring hand on Will's shoulder, his touch immediately relax his tense shoulder, almost like Thane had a calming effect on him. "C'mon, let's go find your mom."

Will exhaled, nodding his head in response to Thane. He knew that fretting too much over Tracey wasn't going to make things any better for him, and listening to Thane was probably the wisest thing to do. 

It took only a matter of minutes to locate Will's mother, who was gearing up to leave after an exhausting shift, slinging her bag over her shoulder. Thane led the way while Sarah spoke to him, asking him question after question about himself as well as Will. Will couldn't interject, trying twice but was quickly shut down with a hand from his mother.

The false sense of security Sarah had given Will earlier in the day was nothing more than a ruse. The almost-but-not-quite invasive questions she shot at Thane just proved that fact to Will. He knew what she was doing; she's done the same multiple times before. It was her way of interrogation. She'd done it whenever she thought Will was lying, and even to her husband when she felt he wasn't telling her everything he knew about an issue. Will was sure he could see Thane breaking a sweat after awhile. 

Eventually the questioning stopped when they arrived at the hovercar. Thane, hoping to get away from the vigorous round of twenty questions that Sarah put him through, opted for the passenger seat, getting as much distance between him and the torrent of questions. Sarah however, was done with Thane, instead turning her attention to her son. Through the ride back to Will's old home, she didn't so much as ask him questions, but stared long and hard at Will from her seat beside him. That however, only freaked him out even more. Seriously, first Tracey and now his mother, he was about to crumble from the strange tensions they were creating in him, so much so that he was starting to regret offering his mom a ride home.

Not soon enough, the hovercar coasted to a halt outside Will's old home, a strange sense of nostalgia washing over him. Sure the house was small compared to where he lived now, but seeing the place where he grew up definitely brought some memories back for him. He didn't even realized how much he missed the place until he saw it again.

"Welcome home." Sarah said, climbing out of the car. 

The two young elites exited too, standing by the house, each looking at the house with something different running through their mind. Will remember all the times he had walked down the path, heading towards the tram station. All the times he had come home and seen the city centre in the background, wondering if he would ever visit the place. 

Thane on the other hand, looked at the house and saw just how small it was and guilt bubbled within him. He had always made it known that he didn't feel natals and elites should be treated differently. Looking at the house in front of him, and the row of identical houses lining the streets made him realize just how big the gap between the social classes was. Helios Grove, which was only for his family could have easily fit more than ten of these houses. Of course, he knew of this all, it was just that being there put it all into perspective for him. Shaking off his thoughts, Thane followed Will into the house, taking in the new environment. 

"Will, your father isn't home yet so you can wait around, this used to be your home after all." Sarah chuckled at her own little joke. "He should be back anytime soon. Why don't you give Thane the tour of the house."

Will turned to Thane. "Actually, it's basically this. The kitchen's over there, living room's behind you and bedrooms are upstairs. There, tour's done." Will said, making Sarah shake her head in disapproval before disappearing into the kitchen. 

"Are you gonna give me a tour of your old room?" Thane whispered into Will's ear.

"Mom, we'll be upstairs." Will shouted, pulling Thane up the stairs and to his bedroom. As the door slid open, Will entered, seeing his old single bed sitting by the corner but other than that, his room was pretty bare. A TV sat within the wall but other than his closet and bedside table, the room was practically empty. "Nothing much to see really."

"Must be a big change moving to Helios then." Thane said, taking in the room before him. 

"That's an understatement." Will laughed, going over and sitting down on his bed. He looked to Thane and he could tell that something was on his mind. "Are you okay?" He asked, drawing Thane's attention back to him.

"Nothing, I was just...it kinda makes you think doesn't it." Thane said, walking by the TV and running a finger across the screen, leaving a trail in the tiny layer of dust.

"Think? About what?" 

"How elites live in places so extravagant and natals live in shoeboxes like these." Thane said, walking over to the window and looking out. "Look at that, so many people all living in places like this."

"It's not as bad as you think you know. It's definitely big enough to live comfortably." Will said, trying to make Thane feel better.




The Lunar Life Ch. 07



"Your room is smaller than my bathroom, and you think that's okay?" Thane scoffed, turning to face Will.

"Really it's no big deal. Natals don't care about these things." 

"That's because most of them don't know. Tell me, if you hadn't gone to Helios Grove, would you have known that elites lived like that?" Thane asked, walking over so he was standing in front of Will.

"Well no, but..."

"You see, people don't notice the difference because they don't know how vast that difference is." Thane cut Will off. "I just don't think it's fair." Will put his hand up, caressing Thane's cheek in his palm.

"It's fine. Take me for example. I know what Helios looks like, but I'll still be perfectly fine with living here. It's a common trait in natals to be satisfied." Will said, trying to comfort Thane. "Anyway, someone told me down at the hospital just now not to discount myself. Maybe that person should take his own advice?" Thane hugged Will to him, feeling his warmth wrapping itself around him. "Elites do a lot, way more than natals do, and I've seen that with my own eyes. It's only fair that they get certain privileges."

"I just don't..."

"Shhh." It was Will's turn to cut Thane off this time. "Just forget about it okay. C'mon let's change the subject. Like how my mother interrogated you just now."

"Do you need to remind me of that? And you say my mother is scary?" Thane looked down at Will, smiling his half smile. Sure he was still feeling a little down but Will just always cheered him up. 

"Oh she's harmless. She just has this inner detective side that can't be stopped when she smells something amiss." Will said, happy to be able to change the subject and at least stop Thane from overthinking. 

"Seems like both our moms are somewhat difficult to hide things from." Thane laughed. 

"Let's just hope they never team up or we'll all be doomed." 

Thane chuckled before sighing, burying his nose into Will's black hair. "You always smell so good." 

"Hmm." Will smiled, looking up at Thane. Returning the smile, Thane lowered his head, connecting their lips together. They had gone the whole day without so much as holding each other hands and they were already starting to miss the contact they shared. Will moaned into the kiss, sucking gently on Thane's lower lip. So engrossed were they, that they didn't notice the door sliding open. 

"Hey Will, your mother..." Trevor stopped in his tracks when he saw his son locking lips with another man. At his voice, the pair had jumped apart, but not fast enough for him to miss what he had just witnessed. Trevor's eyes were wide with shock, his brain working in overdrive trying to piece together what he had just witnessed. 

"Dad, we were just..." Will trailed off, his panic rising as he lost the ability to speak. He hadn't expected any of his parents to find out this way. Hell, he wasn't even going to tell them yet. He looked to Thane for support, hoping that he could make a valid excuse as to why they had just been kissing, but Thane just stood there, too shock to say anything. 

"Who the hell are you?" Trevor asked, his shock slowly morphing to anger as he looked at the man standing slack jawed next to his son. Clearing his throat, Thane introduced himself but was swiftly cut off before he could even complete his name. "What the hell were you two doing?" He shouted, the volume of his voice slowly increasing with each word. 

"What's happening here?" Sarah came in, worry written on her face. She hadn't expected to suddenly hear her husband shouting from up the stairs and immediately went to investigate. 

"I just caught your son making out with this man here." He said, turning to his wife. 

"We weren't making out." Will tried, attempting but sorely failing at trying to bail himself out. 

"Oh? Then what were you doing then? Giving him mouth to mouth resuscitation?" Trevor screamed at his son. Will was taken aback. In all his years his father had never raised his voice at him. He was always the easygoing guy, but now he was livid. 

"Sir we..." Thane started but was once again cut off by Trevor. 

"You, keep quiet." Trevor warned, a finger menacingly pointed at Thane, malice lacing each word. At his tone, Sarah got worried. She knew Thane was elite and no natal should ever talk to an elite like that, regardless of the situation. 

"Trevor, you need to calm down. You can't speak to him like that, he's elite." Sarah said. 

"I don't care if he's the freaking president. I will not let some guy come in here, into my house and disrespect me." He shouted, eyes not leaving Thane. 

"No one disrespected you, Dad." Will shouted, his own anger starting to bubble. He didn't even know where that anger came from. He guessed slightly from the disappointment he felt towards his father as well as the way his father was reprimanding him. He had thought his parent would take this well but apparently that wasn't the case. 

"Did you just raise your voice at me?" Trevor asked, his voice dropping to barely more than a whisper. Will remained silent but a scowl had replaced his features. That same scowl soon graced Trevor's face as well. "So, is this what being elite has taught you? To be a disgusting...Who is this man to you anyway?"

"This 'disgusting' man happens to be my boyfriend." Will shouted. Thane looked over to Will in shock, not expecting him to say that at all. In fact, everyone in the room had their eyes on Will, each of which had a different expression on their face. Thane had shock, Sarah had worry and Trevor had anger. Nothing seemed to happen for a moment, all of them frozen in the moment caused by Will's revelation. 

"Get out." Trevor finally spoke, breaking the silence. 

"Honey, you're being too brash." Sarah said but Trevor immediately left the room, returning to his own in a fit of anger. Sarah looked to her son, her eyes darting between Will and Thane. 

"C'mon Thane. We're not welcomed here." Will said, his eyes welling up slightly. He chocked back the tears though, not wanting them to spill, lest it show anyone weakness. He brushed past his mother and trudged down the stairs, Thane following close behind but still tried to remain civil and polite to Sarah. Will was about to leave the front door when Sarah spoke out. 

"Will, wait." Will stopped, closing his eyes and clenching his fists at his side, trying to keep his emotions in check. "You're father is just surprised, as am I. That's all."

Will glanced at Thane once and he immediately got the message, exiting the house to give Will some privacy. "Surprised? He seemed more furious than surprised Mom." Will muttered. 

"Please, just give him some time. Give us, some time to figure this out." Sarah said, herself on the verge of tears.

"He said what he needed to say Mom. I don't think there is a need to figure anything out here. You're shocked too, but you didn't say any of those stuff. He did." Will spat out. 

"I've had the whole day to mull over this, your father didn't." It didn't even phase Will that his mother had just admitted she suspected the whole day about their relationship. 

"I'm sorry Mom." Will said, quickly exiting the house before another word can be said. He entered the hovercar, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. He could feel Thane next to him, wanting to say something. "Let's just go, please."

The hovercar took off down the road as they made their way back to Helios Grove. Will kept his eyes closed, knowing that if he were to open them, he would have shed a tear. Heat wrapped itself around his hand as Thane laced their fingers together. Giving a squeeze, Thane told Will that he was still there, right next to him and he wasn't going anywhere. 

Nothing was said on the ride back to Helios grove, and nothing needed to. Will needed to sort out his thoughts, and talking wouldn't have helped. Thane on the other hand, was sad for Will. His own parents had taken the news so well and he knew that Will wished his parents would be the same. Hell, even Thane thought they would have been more accepting just because they weren't elite. 

As the vehicle stopped in front of Helios, the pair exited the car silently. Will entered first, making a beeline for his room. As Will entered, Steve was there. 

"Welcome back Wi..." Steve stopped when Thane came in shaking his head in the droid's direction. As Will disappeared up the stairs, Steve turned to Thane. "Did something happen between you two?"

"Not us, but something did happen." Thane said, following after Will and ignoring further questions from Steve. Standing outside Will's bedroom, Thane wondered if he should give Will some time alone, although if he were put in the same position, he would have wanted Will there. Tentatively, he knocked on the door and cracked it open a little. Will was lying in his bed, a pillow thrown over his face. "Do you want some alone time?"

Will responded by shaking his head, his pillow bobbing from side to side. Thane took that answer as a green light to enter. He walked over to Will and lay down beside him, once again interlacing their fingers. "I'm sorry." Thane said, squeezing Will's hand reassuringly. 

"You don't have to be sorry for anything." Will said, using his free hand to grab the pillow off his face. 

"Still, I'm sorry." Thane said, turning to face Will. He brought a hand up, brushing away the stray strand of hair that fell onto Will's face. "It's gonna be okay. I'll be right here if you need me."

"I know. Thank you Thane." Will said, bringing up their joined hands to his lips and kissing the back of Thane's.

"Anytime." The pair then went into a peaceful silence after that, simply lying in bed together. Will was still torn up about his parents, but with Thane's hand in his, he felt maybe it shouldn't matter so much. Thane made him feel safe, and maybe, that's all he needed.



The Lunar Life Ch. 08



A few days passed and things returned to their routine. Will spent many afternoons contemplating calling his parents, in an effort to reconcile their differences after the scene that occurred a few days prior, but every time he was close to it, he stopped. Sure he wanted things to be okay between them again, but his mother was right. He needed to give them some time to deal with the situation that was so unceremoniously presented to them, and he wasn't doing that if he called. 

He not only had to deal with his parents, but also found himself constantly thinking about Tracey and expecting something to happen because of it. He didn't know what to expect though, no one did, but he thought perhaps some swat team was going to burst through his door and drag him away. Thane, on multiple occasions, had to calm Will down before he had a panic attack, playing the rational voice in Will's head. 

Of course, even with all this going on, his training still had to continue, although he wanted nothing more than to have a week off to get his mind on straight. Thane, having completed his recent hospital project, had a sudden abundance of time on his hands, a strange occurrence for him. Not surprisingly, he found himself spending this free time accompanying Will to his trainings, something Varek thought was more a distraction than a help.

They had just returned to Helios Grove after spending a day at the Lunaris Programming Centre, where most of the programming on Lunaris was done. Everything from droids, to city infrastructure, anything that was remotely automated was controlled from the building. It was, in fact, the place where Varek worked for most of the time, so it was only natural that Varek was a little more excited that day as compared to others, being in his element. Although he didn't speak of this, a part of him had hoped that Will would eventually decide on electrical engineering to specialize in, like himself. 

Although he had only been mentoring Will for not more than three weeks, Varek had already taken a strong liking to the boy, feeling like he was a second son. The fact that him and Thane were hitting it off with each other, in more ways than one, was somehow just icing on the cake. Both Varek and his wife could plainly see how much happier Thane had been lately, and they had no doubt that it was attributed to Will, something they couldn't help but smile at.

"You were practically bouncing the whole day." Thane smirked as the trio walked into their home.

"Well it's my bread and butter. I'm sure you can understand why." Varek replied.

"Well Varek, I've got to say, you sure know how to sell your line of work. I'm half decided on my specialization now." Will said. Even though Varek hadn't mentioned it to him, he could tell that Varek wanted him to follow in his mentor's footsteps, and he did seem interested in it, especially after Varek's spirited introduction to the line.

At Will's words, Varek's eyes just about lit up, a Cheshire cat grin taking over his lips. At that moment, Steve came in, greeting them as per usual. "Pardon me gentlemen, but you have a visitor. He is waiting in Mr. Hopper's office." He announced.

"A visitor? Who." Varek asked.

"President Dart." The droid voiced.

"Oh? Hmm, I wonder why he's here." Varek thought aloud. 

"He's probably just checking up on Will's progress." Thane suggested. Varek nodded slowly, thinking that it made sense. "I'll let you both go talk to him then." Thane said, about to head off in a different direction.

"Actually Master Thane, President Dart has requested to see all three of you." Steve interjected before Thane could take a step further.

"What? Why would he want to see me?" Thane asked, bewildered that he had been summoned as well.

"That's the instructions he told me to relay. I know nothing more." Steve said. 

Thane raised an eyebrow and turned to his father, hoping to get some sort of explanation, but Varek only shrugged his shoulders. "Should be nothing." Varek said, dismissing it and proceeded in the direction of his office. Thane took the place next to Will as they both followed behind Varek. 

"You don't think this has anything to do with Tracey right?" Will whispered, immediately growing wary of President Dart's surprise visit, and his paranoia sparked once again. Could this be as he had feared all along since the day at the hospital? Varek did say that President Dart wasn't the most keen on the idea of homosexuals.

"I sure hope not." Thane replied, himself growing a little uneasy about the whole situation. 

The walk to Varek's office seemed to take a lot longer than normal for the boys, something they weren't sure whether to me happy about. This could go one of two ways and a part of them wanted it to be over with, while the other part didn't even want to deal with it at all. Of course, they did eventually make it to the door as Varek shot the boys a glance, before knocking and opening the door.

Inside, President Dart sat at the desk, looking out the window behind him. At the sound of the door, he turned in his chair, slowly and almost menacing. "Ah Varek, Will, Thane, it's good you're all back. I've been waiting awhile." He chuckled, which did nothing to ease their nerves.

"You could have called sir, we would have made the time to meet you." Varek said, trying his hardest to hide his nervousness about the situation, the tension emanating from the two younger men behind him slowly affecting him as well. 

"Oh nonsense, no need to interrupt your busy day." Dart waved off. "But now that you have returned, I have been meaning to speak to all of you." 

"Is this about Will's progress?" 

"Oh yes, it is. First of all Varek, can I speak to Will and Thane privately?" Dart asked, so polite and yet the threat in his statement was quite clear. 

"Oh...of course." Varek said, turning and looking at the two elites behind him, trying to convey with his emotion for them to stay calm, before exiting the room and closing the door behind him.

"Oh boys, please take a seat." Dart said, motioning to the two seats across the desk from him. Both of them did as they were told, sinking down into the leather chairs. "So first of, how is everything going so far Will?" 

"Um...great. Everything's been good."

"I'm pleased to hear that. Adapting well to elite life?" Dart asked, his facial expression showing what looked like genuine curiosity, to which Will nodded. "Good. How about you Thane? I heard you just completed the droid project down at the hospital." 

"Yes sir." Thane replied.

"With Tracey Beckard, am I right? I was just down by the Beckard household earlier today." Thane nodded. "Sweet girl yes? Although a little oblivious at times?" Dart said, chuckling slightly. 

"Well, she's just different." Thane said. He didn't like that Dart had brought up Tracey. Had she said something? Was that what this was about?

"Yes I guess she is. So anyway, down to business." Dart said, bringing up his BIC, swiping his finger across it, causing a holographic interface to beam up from his wrist. Will's eyes bulged slightly, never seeing a BIC do that before, something that President Dart caught. "Pretty neat huh. One of the perks of being president." Dart snickered as his tapped at buttons on the floating screen in front of him. "So, can we be honest with each other. Let's do that shall we? I promise I'll be honest with you guys." He said, the smile dropping from his face instantly, not taking his eyes off his holographic panel.

Thane and Will exchanged a quick glance but Dart continued talking straight away. "Rumors are part of Lunaris and it's always good to nip it in the bud before things get out of hand. Well I heard this rather disturbing rumor while I was down at the Beckard's. Tracey really shouldn't spread things like that, especially when there are people around within earshot. Like I said, the girl is pretty oblivious...and loud. I swear she was halfway across the house and I could still hear her." He stopped, finally meeting Will and Thane's eyes once again, smiling innocently. "I apologize, I'm rambling. Perhaps you should decide yourself." Dart pressed a button on his panel, starting a sound clip playing from his BIC.

"I swear to you Lara," It was Tracey's voice. "You can forget about your little crush on Thane. He's not gonna be interested."

"Why not? What did he say?" The other girl replied, who Will could only guess was Lara, on the other end of a supposedly private call. 

"He didn't say anything but he definitely showed it." 

"C'mon Trace, stop keeping me in suspense here."

"This is just between you and me, okay? So don't tell anyone this, but you know that natal elite guy, Will Harrison? Yeah well Thane brought him to work today." Tracey said.

"So?"

"You should have seen the way they looked at each other. Those two are definitely involved with one another." You could almost hear the smile in Tracey's voice. As Will and Thane sat there, listening to the recording in shock, Dart had his eyes closed as he too, listened to the clip.

"Wait, you mean Thane is...gay?"

"Probably. Can't be too sure but it sure seemed like it. You should have seen them, they make such a cute couple." Tracey said. This time, Dart opened his eyes, tapping his BIC and stopping the clip. If not for the situation he was currently in, Will would have been touched that Tracey thought his relationship looked cute, but all he felt was appalled. 

"That sounded like a private conversation." Will muttered.

"Oh it was, but like I said, the girl was loud." Dart smirked. "Okay so maybe she wasn't that loud, but all calls on Lunaris are monitored, so getting a clip of it wasn't too difficult. But I digress, care to put these rumors to rest?" 

"It's not true. You yourself said Tracey was oblivious. She's just jumping to conclusions. You can't trust her." Thane replied, knowing that whatever it was, outright telling Dart the truth was a grade A bad idea. Will nodded, hopefully to some added effect.

"Oh I don't. Being president, you learn not to trust anyone." He stopped and Thane's shoulders relaxed just a tiny amount. "But like I said, being president has its perks." He went back to his BIC, bringing up a new window, this time opening a file, which displayed prominently on his holographic panel. It opened up two separate graphs, although neither knew what it was for. "One of those perks, is access to every records and monitoring system on Lunaris, including the vitals monitor on every Lunarisions BIC. If you could divert your attention to the graphs, I have taken the liberty to compile both your vitals from the last few days, more specifically, four days ago.

"As you can see, at around 9 p.m., we see a spike in both your pulse and breathing rates. Based on your BIC GPS, you both were within ten meters of each other. Please explain to me what happened that night?"

"We were both working out." Will said, remembering Thane use the same excuse with Tracey.

"Oh of course, why didn't I think of that? That makes so much sense now." Dart chuckled, hitting his head lightly as if to show how stupid he was. "So am I right to assume the same happened the next morning at approximately 9 a.m.?" Thane didn't like where Dart was leading this, but all he could do was nod. Dart looked in thought for a while, nodding slowly to himself, before finally bringing his hand up and swiping across the graphs, switching them for two new ones. "Well then, I guess that explains the increased levels of epinephrine in your blood during those two occasions as well. That would happen if you worked out wouldn't it.

"But this part baffles me see, both of you had a spike in oxytocin levels, within minutes of each other. That part I don't understand." Dart raised an eyebrow at Will. Will remembered what oxytocin was, from one of his biology CKT sessions. Oxytocin was released during orgasms. There was no excuse for this now. "I'm disappointed in you boys, I thought we agreed to be honest with each other here." Dart said, closing the panel on his BIC. "So I'm asking one more time, what were you boys doing that morning." 

"You already know, why do you need us to say it." Thane said, his brows furrowed together, glaring at the president.

"I guess you're right. Well that's it then, thank you boys for your time. You may go." He said turning around in his chair and facing out the window. "Send in Varek after you."

"Wait, that's it? Aren't you gonna do something?" Will asked. He wasn't looking for trouble but you don't just interrogate someone like that and then let them go after. 

"Oh don't worry William, I'll handle it in due time." He said. The threat was clear as day in his voice. He was already planning something and it wasn't going to be good for neither Will nor Thane. "Please send Varek in." Dart said, his finally dismissal of the boys. Will continued to glare at President Dart's back as Thane pulled him out of the room.

Outside, Varek paced the hall. Seeing the two boys exit, he quickly marched to them. "What happened?" He whispered, not wanting Dart to hear.

Before either of them could say anything, Dart's voiced boomed from the room. "Varek, I need to speak with you, now." The enunciation of the 'now' gave the statement a commanding tone, conveying that he wasn't going to ask again. Varek gave the two men a look of sorry, before quickly entering the room and closing the door. 

As the door clicked shut, Will took off, storming to his room, Thane at his heel's trying to keep up. Pushing his door open with force he didn't know he possessed, Will stomped into the room, pacing up and down the length of it. Thane followed him in, closing the door behind him as gently as he could in his frustrated state, which still wasn't very gentle.

"I can't believe him, I mean, tapping into people's private conversations?" Will shouted, continuing his pacing of the room. 

"I'm currently more furious at Tracey. She could have just kept her mouth shut, but no of course she had to go blab about us." Thane muttered, running his hand through his hair. 

"I admit, she could have been a little more discreet about it, but we can't completely blame her." Will said, finally stopping his pacing. He closed his eyes, rubbing a finger against his temple. "I can honestly say, I won't be able to see that idiot's face from now on without wanting to punch it. That fucking smirk he kept shooting us, God what I wouldn't give to be able to rip it off."

"That makes two of us." Thane said, walking over to the couch and dropping into it. "Ugh, this is giving me a headache."

Will walked over to Thane, sitting down beside him. With his hand, he pulled the elite down onto himself, resting Thane's head in his lap, slowly combing his fingers through his thick brown locks. He applied slight pressure to Thane's scalp, massaging him in the hopes of alleviating his headache. Thane sighed in response, closing his eyes and enjoying Will's fingers as they worked their magic. With each passing minute, the scowl on Thane's face slowly relaxed till it was gone. "Feel better now?" Will asked. 

"Yeah. Thanks." Thane said, reaching up and grabbing Will's hand, clutching it at his chest. "What do you think he's gonna do?"

"I don't know, but I'm sure it can't be good. Goddamn it, why must everything be so screwed up."

A knock at the door drew both of their attentions. "Guys, it's me. Can I come in?" Varek asked through the door. 

"Yeah Dad." Thane replied, not getting up from his position in Will's lap. Varek entered, looking none too pleased as well. For a moment, both Will and Thane thought the anger was directed at them. Varek did give explicit instruction to keep this under wraps, to avoid exactly what had just happened and they both thought Varek was there to reprimand them for being so careless. Varek took a seat at one of the single sofa seat and stared at the air in front of him. "I'm sorry Dad." Thane apologized. 

At those words, Varek's expression immediately softened and he turned his attention to his son. "What? Why?"

"We were careless. You told us..." Thane started, but was cut off by Varek. 

"No no, I'm not mad at either of you. You two did nothing wrong. That Dart however, I'm pretty furious." Varek said, immediately resuming his glare of the empty space in front of him. 

"What happened?" Will asked. Varek took a breath to calm himself, before turning back to the boys. 

"Well after I went in, he jumped straight into it and went on and on about his 'research' he had conducted on you two. The call, the graphs, everything. Didn't even give me a chance to speak. I couldn't interject even if I tried, and I definitely tried." Varek said, rolling his eyes in annoyance. "After his whole presentation to me, he turned to me and said, and I quote, 'now I'm sure you're disappointed with your son', and I lost it. Freaking shouted at him to shut up, which he did. No one talks about my son like that, let alone try to dictate how I should feel about the matter."

Thane's heart swelled at his dad's words. Thane had always been proud to have a father like Varek, but at that moment he was absolutely beaming with awe. So touched was he, that his eyes started to well up, not enough to full out cry, but he could definitely feel his chest tightening. 

"I told him I was proud of my son, and my protégé, and I wasn't an ignorant bigot like him. Of course, the president didn't take kindly to being shouted at, himself flipping out. Went on about how I will rue this day and all that crap. I kindly told him to leave, saying that he was no longer welcomed. Even got Steve to escort him out." Varek said, seemingly pretty proud of himself, especially at that last part. Thane had sat up, pulling himself out of Will's lap, staring at his dad, his tears close to spilling over. Varek looked at him, noticing Thane's expression, smiling sadly at his son. "I meant everything I said. I am so, so proud of the man you've turned out to become and don't let anyone ever lead you to believe otherwise."

Thane got up, walking over to his father and engulfing him in a tight hug, finally letting a tear fall, trailing down his cheek. "Thanks Dad." Thane said, pouring everything head into the hug. He couldn't articulate his thoughts out loud, but he wanted to say so much more to his father. He wanted to thank him for always being there, always having his back and most of all, for being a person that he could look up to and respect as not just as a father, but a human being.

Will couldn't help but smile as he watched the two share their father-son moment. At the sight, he immediately remembered his own father, his smile dropping at the thought, remembering that his father didn't share the same sentiment as Varek, and he wasn't going to lie, it broke his heart. He would give anything for his father to look at him in the same way Varek looked at Thane. He would have given everything to hear that his father was proud of him. 

Thane and Varek broke their embrace, smiling warmly at each other as Thane returned to his place by Will. Varek looked between the two boys and caught the look on Will's face, somehow broken on the inside. "I mean that to you too Will." He said, causing Will to look up. "I treat you like a son and I'm just as proud of you." At this, Thane grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze.

"Thanks Varek. I really appreciate it." Will said, cracking a half smile. Well, even if his father didn't fully understand him, he was surrounded by people who did, and that couldn't be all bad. 

"Well anyway, I actually came here because I need to offer you my advice once again." Varek said, suddenly remembering the main reason he had come to speak to the pair. "With Dart now on your case, you can expect that he would soon try to pull something off. I'm not trying to worry you two, but you guys need to be careful. Dart may seem innocent at times, but he is dangerous and I want both of you to take care of yourselves."




The Lunar Life Ch. 08



"What do you think he's gonna do? Do you think it's maybe an empty threat?" Thane asked. 

"I don't know what he's planning, but it's definitely not a empty threat. Dart may be many things, but forgiving isn't one of them. From now, you boys have to be on high alert, especially when you're outside of Helios." Varek said. From his tone, Will could tell how serious this was. It seemed they were in over their heads. Dart had a multitude of resources at his fingertips and moreover, he had the advantage of surprise. It was a David and Goliath match up. 

"We'll be careful Dad." Thane reassured.

"I know you will. I'll take my leave then. You boys should get some rest. I'll see you both tomorrow." Varek said, getting up and making his way to the exit. As the door closed behind him, Thane looked over at Will, squeezing his hand once again. 

Will however, was a whirlwind of brewing emotions. He had been angry at Dart, sad at his own father and scared at what was going to happen. He spent a good portion of the past few days worrying about Tracey, always wondering if something bad was going to happen. He had been feeling so overwhelmed with everything that entailed being elite, so much so that he didn't know if he had made the right choice. 

So much ran through his head, he felt like he was going to burst. He closed his eyes, thinking that he needed a moment to clear his thoughts, but all it did was loop in his brain. As everything continuously played over and over in his mind, he wanted to scream, letting loose all the pent up frustration he was feeling. Feeling, for the first time in his life, that everything in his perfect little life was finally falling apart, and he was falling into a pit that he had more and more difficulty in escaping. He wanted to stay strong, trying so hard to pretend that it didn't bother him. The emotional overload however, was too much for him to take, a tear escaping his eye as he felt the pressure of everything collapsing onto him, breaking him down from the inside. 

"Hey, hey, look at me." Thane said, immediately growing concern when he saw the stray tear that escaped Will's closed eyelids. He raised his hand, wiping away the drop as it ran down Will's cheek. "It's okay, I'm right here. I'll always be right here." Will opened his eyes as he nuzzled Thane's hand that cradled his face. He looked into Thane silver eyes, seeing panic and worry in them. Without thinking, his hand moved to the back of Thane's neck, pulling their lips together in a sad kiss. 

The kissed lasted as long as they could hold their breath, eventually breaking apart when their lungs cried for oxygen. Will rested his forehead against Thane's. "I want to forget it all. Please Thane, make me forget it all." Will cried, as more tears flowed down his cheeks. Will crashed his lips against Thane's once again, more forcefully, trying to get his mind to focus solely on the man in his arms. 

It broke his heart seeing Will clinging onto his sanity, so he complied with Will's request, hoping he could provide Will with some peace of mind. He returned the kiss, moving his hand to the weave it through Will's soft hair. Will opened his mouth and Thane took the cue, darting his tongue into Will's hot and waiting mouth. Tongues explored and probed each other, as if trying to entangle themselves together. "Take me to bed." Will whispered, almost pleading, at the same time wrapping his arms around Thane's neck. 

Thane moved his lips to Will's neck, kissing the spot he knew drove Will insane, making him throw his head back in ecstasy. At the same time, Thane got off the couch, pulling Will's thighs around his waist, locking both of them together as he carried them to the bed. Will's hard on pushed against his stomach, straining against the fabric that confined his growing member. Thane's own cock was at full attention, but his personal satisfaction was far from his mind. Only Will mattered at that moment.

Reaching the bed, Thane carefully lowered Will onto the mattress, returning his lips to Will's as they resumed their passionate kisses. Distracted by his need to satisfy Will, Thane didn't realize Will's hands as they ran up his body, trailing across his abs, pulling up his shirt at the same time. Finding a nipple, Will gave a light pinch, making Thane moan in response, breaking the kiss momentarily, enough for Will to pull the shirt over Thane's head. 

Now half naked, Thane lowered himself down onto Will, pushing him down into a lying position as he trailed his kisses down Will's neck. He pulled the shirt up, revealing Will's torso, planting kisses on the sensitive skin. Will had his eyes closed and head thrown back against the mattress as he let himself surrender to the feeling of Thane around him. In his daze, Thane swiftly unbuckling his trousers, pulling them down in one move, before working on his own pants. Will took initiative, pulling his shirt over his frame, removing the last piece of clothing between them. 

Lightly biting the skin across Will's body, Thane snaked back up Will's form, pausing at his chest to lick at Will's nipple, once or twice using his teeth to lightly stimulated the bud. When he was all but writhing, Will reach down and pulled Thane up to him, crashing their lips together once again. Between their bodies, their hard dicks rubbed against each other, sending spark flying across their skin. 

Thane undulated his hips, further increasing the friction between them. Precum leaked generously from both of them, slicking them up as they rubbed against each other. Will had his hands running up and down Thane's back, digging his nails into the flesh, marking Thane, laying his claim to the handsome elite. "Please Thane." Will pleaded, in between kisses. 

Thane allowed one hand to snake between their bodies, wrapping his long fingers around both of their dicks. Slowly he pumped both on them in unison, friction from both his hand and each other's members bringing Will closer to his climax. Their breathing increased as both climbed to their peaks, ready to explode with each pump of Thane's strong arm. Blood pulsed across their skin, their heartbeats syncing with one another. "I'm close." Will announced, feeling the rising sensation in his groin, Thane in turn pumping with increasing speed.

With one final pump, Will came, his dick pulsing as he shot his seed between their bodies. The feeling of Will twitching against him triggered Thane's own orgasm, mixing his own semen with Will's. After milking themselves till they were dry, Thane slowly let go of his grip of their dicks. Semen pooled against Will's belly, collecting in his belly button. He ran his nose tenderly across Will's cheek, his breath tickling Will's skin. 

"Suck on that, President Dart." Will knew that Dart would continue to monitor them, and by once again reaching climax together, he felt that they were sending a message to him, that whatever he did, they were going to tough it out together. Thane chuckled, knowing where Will was coming from. Will's eyelids were half closed as he looked at Thane. "Thank you." He said, running a hand across Thane's chin. Thane simply smiled and gave Will a kiss. 

Eventually Thane got up, walking over to the bathroom to grab a washcloth to clean the mess off of Will. By the time he returned, Will was fast asleep on the bed. Thane smiled as he slowly wiped Will clean. This was so different for him. Will had been completely vulnerable with him, and for once, he felt that the other person's needs were more important than his own. 

He thought it was due to the stress of the whole situation with Dart, maybe playing a role in altering how his brain wanted to handle the problem. He thought that maybe, the emotional exchange he shared with his father, brought out the protective, fatherly instinct within himself. There were many possible reasons as to why he handled the situation as he did and he tried to rationalize each and every one, hoping to find the answer that best fit the question. 

There was one possible answer that he dare not evaluate though, knowing that it was a slippery road for him. He tried convincing himself that there were more logical reasons than the answer he was desperately trying to avoid. However, that's where he knew he couldn't, because emotions weren't logical, and in science, not quantifiable. Because as Thane looked at Will's peaceful face as he slept, he knew exactly why he was feeling that way.

He had been so scared to admit his growing feelings for the man lying in front of him, and a part of him thought that if he ever did admit it, something was going to change. But things were already changing for them, and no one knew what the future would hold. He climbed into bed, laying his arms over Will's chest, feeling the slight rise and fall as he breathed. He wanted to just close his eyes and drift off to sleep, but the feeling kept gnawing at his insides, to the point that he spoke without hesitation. 

"I love you Will." Thane whispered.



The Lunar Life Ch. 09



The feeling that he was being watched never left Will, always sensing a pair of hidden eyes evaluating his every move. Even in the supposed safety of Helios Grove, Will no longer felt completely safe. Being constantly on edge, always looking over his shoulder had made him emotionally exhausted. It had been three days since Dart's unexpected visit; three days after his threat, and so far nothing had happened yet. 

Will knew that Dart wasn't a person to procrastinate, especially when it came to something like this, which only made him more wary about every little thing around him. He couldn't walk out of Helios Grove without at least an ounce of trepidation, not knowing when or where Dart's secret plan was going to be put into motion. That was the worst part for Will, the fact that he could be kidnapped while out in the city centre or perhaps even assassinated after stepping a foot out of his home. Yep, he wouldn't put it past Dart to commit murder.

Thane though, had to put up with all this added tension. After the realization that he was in love with Will, he grew protective of his boyfriend. He knew he was at risk as well, but he felt that if anything were to happen, he hoped it would happen to him. Of course, other than the time he said he loved Will while he was asleep, the words were never spoken aloud again, though it did repeat in his mind like a defective record. They had enough on their plate as it was, and adding anything that could even remotely cause more stress was a definitely a no in Thane's mind. 

Varek was on high alert at all times, taking every precaution necessary to ensure his families safety. He had instructed Alena to live with Sarah at her separate apartment for the time being, in case Dart decided to use her as leverage to get what he wanted. Cassandra was as tough as always, taking the news of Dart's visit without so much as a flinch. He knew the possibility of Dart going after them was low and if anything were to happen, Cassandra would be able to handle things well, but he still had that nervous itch at the back of his neck whenever he thought about anything happening to them.

Yes, the whole Hopper family, including Will, was on standby. Getting help from anyone outside the family was social suicide. Spreading rumors, although true, about Dart and his twisted mind, could get you arrested for planning a coup, and getting locked up or worse, executed, was simply doing the job for Dart themselves. So they remained silent.

The thought did cross Varek's mind, to hole themselves up in Helios Grove, a fortress to protect themselves in so to speak, but life had to go on. Cutting contact with the outside world would have raised suspicion and once again, cast a not so innocent spotlight on the family. No, they had to pretend everything was normal.

Will was sitting on his couch, looking at the TV but not really paying any attention to it. Neither Varek nor Will, was in any mood to conduct elite training, so they had simply decided against it. Now though, Will was wishing they hadn't. Sitting around all day simply gave him too much time to think, to worry. Thane had left earlier in the day because he had some work to attend to, and Will had spent almost every second wondering whether he was safe. 

Suddenly, his door was pushed open, quite forcefully, and there stood Steve. At first Will was shocked, knowing that Steve always knocked before entering. Hell, everyone always knocked before they entered. Will was about to question it when Steve spoke up. "Will, Varek needs you to head to his office immediately. It's of utmost urgency." He droned. Immediately, Will tensed. That didn't sound good, and his mind went straight to Thane. Panic rose in him as he jumped off the couch, running past the robot and sprinting down the hall towards Varek's office. His mind raced, hoping that what he suspected wasn't true. He prayed that it was something else, anything else, as long as Thane wasn't involved in it. 

As he ran as fast as his legs could carry him, never had Varek's office seemed so far as it did at that moment. Paintings on the walls became a blur as he zoomed down the halls, swerving past obstacles and corners. Finally, Varek's office came into view, the door wide open, which in itself was an odd occurrence, but Will was much too preoccupied to care at that point.

He ran in, speaking before he had even seen Varek. "Please don't be anything to do with Thane." Will panted. Varek moved around his office, picking up notes and his tablet, stuffing them into his briefcase. 

"We need to go." Varek said, not so much as answering Will's question. He had heard the question, but he couldn't bring himself to say the words.

"Varek, please say it's not Thane." Will pleaded, still trying to catch his breath. Varek looked up sadly at Will, who immediately got the answer he didn't want to get. 

"He left me this message." Varek said, pressing a couple buttons on his BIC, causing a voice message to play.

"Dad, no time to explain, I need you to get Will somewhere safe." Thane's voice rang over the speakers of the BIC. "I think I'm being followed and I have a feeling it's something to do with Dart. I need you to..." The message cut off.

"Why did it stop? What happened?" Will asked, panic lacing his voice.

"The recording ends there. I have tried contacting him but communications to his BIC have been halted." Varek said, continuing stuffing things into his briefcase. "Only a few people can do that, Dart being one of them."

"We have to find him."

"Yes, we will, but first I need to get you somewhere safe. If this is really Dart's work, then we can assume he's gonna come after you next." Varek said, closing his packed suitcase and pulling Will as he left the room, heading to their hovercar. 

"I don't care. I need to find him." Will shouted, on the verge of losing it.

"Will listen to me, we need to be clever about this. Getting caught now isn't gonna help anyone, especially not Thane. I need you to compose yourself." Varek said, looking sternly into Will's eyes. Will took a few shaky breaths, nodding after calming himself down. "Good. Now we need to get out of the city centre. Dart will probably be searching for us here first. Can we go to your parent's place?"

Will thought about it, knowing it probably wasn't a very good idea seeing that he hadn't spoken to his parents since the day they fought. "I don't know Varek, I..."

"We need someone we can trust." Varek said, finally arriving at the hovercar. Will thought about it and really, there was no other choice. He nodded as he got into the vehicle, telling the driver droid the address.

"Wait but, won't Dart be able to track our BICs?" Will asked as they vehicle started moving.

"That's why I'm going to do this." He said, pulling open his briefcase and pulling out his tablet. Connected to it was a wire with an electrode on the other end. "I've been researching the BIC for the past few days, and I think I found a way to disable it?" Varek said, attaching the electrode to the screen of his BIC. "I think if I can trick the BIC into giving a shock that is above the set limit. The shock should, in theory, fry the circuits enough to cause it to shut down." 

Will looked on as Varek typed away at the tablet. "You're talking about the alarm clock shock to the system?" Will asked.

"That is correct. The BIC is programmed to limit the volts to be nothing more than a sting, but if I can remove that limit, it might be able to fry itself." Varek took a deep breath, hovering his finger over the button that would execute the command. "I'm sure this will hurt. Best-case scenario, the BIC shuts down. Worst-case scenario, I die from the shock." He said.

"What?" Will shouted, but before he could have the word out, Varek had pressed the button. Immediately, Varek let out a shout as the watch shocked him, with how many volts Will didn't know. He took solace in Varek's screams, as that at least told him that the older elite hadn't died. After five full seconds of screaming, Varek finally stopped and slumped into his chair. For a moment, Will panicked at the thought that his mentor was dead, until he noticed Varek's chest moving as he breathed.

"Well that was a lot worse than I expected." Varek said, moving his BIC up to inspect it. "At least it worked." He chuckled, tapping at the blank screen of his watch.

"Damn it Varek, what if you died?" Will asked, appalled that Varek had just sacrificed his own life at the prospect of maybe turning off his BIC.

"Occupational hazard. C'mon now, your turn." Varek said, as he pulled the electrode from his wrist and attached it to Will's. Will just sat there, slightly nervous about it but knowing it had to be done. "Ready?" Will nodded his head, breathing as he felt electricity surge through his body, emanating from his wrist. He bit his lip, suppressing the cry that wanted to escape. He was sure we would never complain about the tiny shock his BIC usually administered ever again, this being way worse. Finally, it stopped and Will panted, recovering from the electric shock he had just experienced. "Are you okay?" Varek asked.

"Yeah, I'm good." He said, bringing his BIC up to ensure that it had worked, and true enough, the watch didn't light up. As Varek put away the stuff back into his briefcase, Will stared at his wrist. It was the first time that he was truly without his little wrist companion, at least without ripping it off of course, and it was somehow kind of liberating. 

Their little experiment took slightly longer than they had actually anticipated and soon after, they were stopped in front of Will's old house. The pair got out quickly, Varek speaking to the driver. The hovercar drove off as Varek directed the driver to a secluded spot, so as to not bring any attention to themselves. Stopping in front of the door, Will waved his BIC in front of it, knowing that it usually opened the door without problem, but this time nothing happened. 

"Will, your BIC is shut down." Varek reminded, and Will almost slapped himself at his stupidity. It's funny because he had lived with it for his whole life, it would take some getting used to, to remember that it was no longer working. Instead, seeing that he couldn't get the door opened, he did something he had never done on this door. He knocked.

They stood there, waiting for the door to open. Varek busied himself by looking up and down the street, making sure that there were no street cameras that could give away their position. Thankfully there were none. Will however, waited, counting the seconds as he did. After ten seconds, he wondered if his parents weren't home, haven't yet returned from work. Of course, he didn't know if ten seconds was the norm for his parents, having never waited for them to open the door for him. For all he knew, they could have taken an average of half a minute to answer the door. 

Eventually, at the sixteen second mark, as counted by Will, the door slid open. Sarah looked up and a surprised look graced her features, not expecting the person at the door to be her son. "Will? What are you doing here?"

"Hi Mom. Not to be rude but, it's kind of urgent that we come in. Is that okay?" Will asked, unsure if he was welcomed back into the house after his last visit. 

"Of course." Sarah said, stepping aside to let Will in. Varek followed behind him, smiling warmly at Sarah although all he wanted to do was get to work. 

"Evening Mrs. Harrison, I'm so sorry for intruding like this, but we're a little bit desperate." Varek said, walking over to the coffee table and laying down his briefcase, immediately going to work. Sarah gave a questioning look to Will, expecting some sort of explanation. 

"Long story Mom. This is Varek by the way, Thane's father." Will said. Sarah nodded. From the way she noticed Will's eyes dart from one end of the house to another, she knew what he was thinking. She was about to tell him Trevor wasn't home yet, when the front door opened. When Trevor opened the door to his home, he hadn't expected to see his son there, and the older male sitting in his couch was just an added surprise. 

"What's going on here." Trevor asked, stepping in and casting a sharp look in Will's direction. Nobody spoke at that moment, even the sound of Varek's fingers as they bounced across the screen stopped. Varek didn't know about the Harrison's little altercation a few days prior, but even he could sense the tension in the room. 

Eventually, Varek decided to break the awkward silence. "I'm Varek Hopper, Will's elite mentor. It's nice to meet you Mr. Harrison." Varek said, getting up and offering a hand. Trevor eyes Varek suspiciously before accepting the handshake. "I'm sorry to barge in like this but Will and I require someplace safe to plan our next course of action." Varek said, returning to his seat. 

"Safe? And what course of action?" Trevor asked. 

"Thane's been kidnapped, and we think we could be next." Will said, looking at his father. Trevor turned his attention to his son, while Sarah had a hand over her mouth as she tried to process what Will had just said. 

"Kidnapped? Why?" Sarah asked. "And why are they after you too?"

"Isn't it obvious Sarah?" Trevor muttered, eyes never leaving Will. "It's because of his...little problem, or am I wrong."

"Trevor..." Sarah pleaded but Will cut her off. 

"No, it's okay Mom, we all know there are things he wants to say. So how about it Dad, go on. Tell me what you really want to say." Will challenged, staring down his father. 

"You want me to talk? Fine. You've changed, and I don't think I like this new Will. You talk back to me; you challenge me, in my own home. Is this what being elite has taught you? You decide to become this...sick, disgusting person and you expect me to accept that?" Trevor spoke, his voice shaking as he held back his emotions. 

"Trevor stop, he's your son." Sarah pleaded, on the verge of tears herself, but Trevor didn't even seem to hear her. 

"Yes, I'm angry with you. Furious, because I know that this isn't the man I raised. And now, even when you realize where your choices have led you, you still want to cling to your damned ways, like an idiot. I didn't raise my son to be an idiot, Will." Trevor said, finally stopping, clutching his fists at his sides to stop them from shaking. 

"No, you didn't raise me to be an idiot." Will muttered, just barely audible. "And it's that reason, I decided not to let others dictate how I should live my life, because that's true idiocy Dad. It's idiocy to pretend to be happy. It's idiocy to follow what other people say without even thinking for yourself. But most of all, it's idiocy to think you cared about me."

"Will, we do care about you." Sarah said. 

"You say you're angry at me for making this choice, but you know what I feel for you?" Will said, no malice in his voice, just barely a whisper. "Disappointment. You once said that I was an adult and my choices are my own, and yet now you want to exact your control on the choices I made. I had thought that you would accept me, just like how you accepted everything else about me, but I guess I was wrong. Apparently, my happiness means nothing to you and really, all I feel is disappointment."

The room was dead silent. Nobody spoke. Nobody looked each other in the eye. For a moment, time stopped as the words hung in the air. There was nothing left to be said. 

Turning to Varek, Will spoke up. "So what's the plan? How long until we're ready to go?" Will asked, expecting a timeframe to rescue Thane, and an estimate of how soon he could leave his dad's house. 

At Will's words, Varek snapped out of his thoughts. "I have to locate him first, and that's not going to be easy. I have to hack the system and gain access to the GPS signal on his BIC. That alone would take quite some time."

"How long, Varek."

"Earliest by tomorrow morning." Varek stated.

Will turned to face his father. "You heard him. We'll be here till morning. After that, you never have to see my disgusting face ever again. Who knows, maybe I'll die and you'll have one less problem to worry about." Sarah gasped at Will's words. "Varek, I'll be upstairs if you need me."

With that, Will turned and trudged up the stairs, back to his old bedroom. "Will." Sarah called out, but Will didn't listen. She turned to her husband, somewhat angry at him for saying those nasty things to Will, and somewhat sad at the defeated look Will had given her. "You need to go talk to him."

"What? I will not. He said what he had to say." Trevor scowled, crossing his arms across his chest. 

"Trevor Harrison, you will go and apologize to your son for saying those nasty things." Sarah scolded, hitting Trevor in the arm. 

"If I may interject here?" Varek said, drawing the attention of the other two adults in the room. "It's not really my place, but I do think you should go talk to Will. I'm not saying you have to apologize, that's your prerogative, but you should definitely at least talk to him."

"Why should I?" Trevor asked, getting defensive. He didn't want to talk to Will, especially not after what his son had just said to him. 

"Look, you don't want to leave it like this. My son is being held captive somewhere. I don't know where he is, or what they are doing to him. I'm trying not to think about it here, but the possibility that he might die is real. I accepted him, fully and unconditionally, and I still feel like there are things that I have never gotten to tell him. Will on the other hand, is still here. Don't wait until he's no longer around, before realizing what you should have said to him. From one father to another, I'm asking you to go talk to your son." Varek said, immediately going back to his tablet and resuming his work in tracking Thane. 

Trevor stared at the elite in front of him, thinking about what he said. "You accepted your son being gay?" Trevor asked, making Varek turn to him.

"Of course, why shouldn't I?" Varek asked, perplexed, like it was such an absurd notion that he had suggested otherwise. 

"But you're an elite. How can you..." Trevor spoke, trailing off at the end. It was then that Varek knew why Trevor was so turned off by the idea of Will being gay. It wasn't that he had anything personal against them; it was just what Lunaris had taught him to do. It was what President Dart had hoped it would do, since the very beginning. He wanted the whole colony to believe that it was wrong, to think like him in his perverse and ignorant mindset.

"Just because I'm an elite, doesn't mean anything. I am first and foremost, a father, and I'll be damned if I ever let my child think that I do not support them in whatever they do. That's part of the unconditional love that a parent is supposed to give their child. Doesn't matter what society tells me, or how they try to control the way I handle situations, my child is number one priority and his happiness is everything to me. I am not going to let the ignorant views of some people make me think otherwise, because that's not fair to me, and that's fair to my kid."

"What if society doesn't want to change? What if, you do everything to make him happy and society doesn't allow him to be so?" Trevor said. He had been so worried for Will when he found out that he was gay, although he tried to mask it with the anger he was taught to feel. Underneath all the hateful thoughts that were planted in him, he was worried that his son would have to face the brunt of society.

"Society never wants to change, but that doesn't mean that we have to stop trying."

"I just don't want him to get hurt." Trevor spoke.

"Then go talk to him, because to me, it sure seemed like he was hurt back there." Trevor took a deep breath, nodding to himself. He turned away from Varek, about to head up to Will, when he spoke up.




The Lunar Life Ch. 09



"Thank you."

"Make sure your son forgives you before you thank me." Varek said, once again returning to his work.

Trevor climbed the stairs to the second floor, taking his time with each step. He didn't know how to do this. The way Will had said he was disappointed in him, struck a nerve in him. The look on Will's face would forever be engraved on his mind, knowing that he had been the one to cause it. He knew now, that he should have never pushed Will away, and he worried that perhaps the damage done was irreversible. He didn't know if Will could bring himself to forgive him, especially after the things he had said, but he needed to at least try, while he still had the chance to.

He stopped in front of Will's door, listening for any sound from the inside but everything was dead silent. Slowly, he raised his hand to knock on the door, the sound reverberating down the quiet hallway. There was no answer, but Trevor decided to enter regardless. 

Will was lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling with his hands behind his head. His eyes looked red and Trevor knew that his son had been crying, and he was the cause. "Hey, can I talk to you?"

"What's there to talk about Dad? We've already said all there is to say." Will muttered, not removing his eyes from the ceiling.

"No, we haven't. At least I haven't." 

"Go on then." Trevor watched as his son stared at the ceiling, his eyes darting between it and the window, anywhere but him. He knew that Will thought he had come up to lecture him some more, but he wasn't. Trevor walked over to the bed and sat down by Will's feet. 

"Are you okay?" Trevor asked, trying his best convey his apologies for making his son cry.

"Don't worry, I wasn't crying because of you. Not all of it at least."

"Then why were you crying?" Trevor asked. Will inhaled but didn't say anything, blinking away any remnant of tears still in his eyes. He didn't want to talk to his father about it, knowing that it would probably only lead to them fighting even more. Trevor, however, didn't need Will to say anything to understand. "It's about Thane, isn't it?" Still Will said nothing. "He's gonna be alright you know." Trevor said, in a small attempt to comfort his son. 

Will scoffed at his father's statement. "Why do you care? He's just another disgusting human, just like myself."

Trevor cringed at those words. It's wasn't only the words themselves, but the way that Will had said it. There was so much resentment in his tone. So much disappointment. To know that it was his own doing made him sick, and the thought that maybe Will really couldn't forgive him ran through his mind again. Still, he had come up for a reason and it was now or never. He took a deep breath, before uttering the words that had so long been stuck in his throat.

"I'm sorry." At those words, Will's brow furrowed, finally casting his gaze towards his father.

"What?"

"I'm sorry Will, I should never have said those things to you. I was just scared." Trevor stopped. Will stared at his father, unsure of what was happening. "Maybe it's just that you have grown so much and I suddenly realized how much you no longer needed me."

"Dad."

"No, let me finish. When I caught you and Thane that day, I don't know, it made me worried for you. I was scared of what could happen to you because of it, and I flipped out, saying everything that I said. Looking back now, I realize how much I have hurt you by pushing you aside. I never want to do that again Will. I don't want you to grow up hating me because I was too stupid to see how much damage I had done to our relationship." Trevor said, looking at his fingers as he played with them nervously. 

"I don't hate you Dad." Will said, sitting up on his bed. 

"I guess all I'm trying to say is, I respect whatever choices you make in your life and I hope that you can forgive me." Trevor said, glancing sideways to look at Will. The younger man simply sat there, staring at his father. Trevor couldn't tell what Will was thinking, and the fact that his son hadn't said anything yet was also alarming to him. He had expected at least a reply. A yes, a no, anything. Silence didn't answer anything, except make him more nervous. "I know, I don't really deserve your forgiveness, and I'll understand if you don't, but..."

Trevor was cut off by Will pulling his father into a hug. For Will, it was all that he could do. When his father had knocked on his door, he hadn't expected an apology was on the horizon. Who would? Just minutes before, they were at each other's throats in the room below them, and suddenly his father not only apologized for the things he said, but also seemed like he genuinely accepted him. That was all Will wanted from his father really. Trevor hadn't needed to apologize for the things he said; all Will needed was for his father to accept his decision and really, just accept him as who he was. With everything that his father had done, Will felt bad too, for saying the things he did towards his father. 

"I'm sorry too, for all the things I said." At that Trevor laughed, letting go of his son. 

"You don't have to say sorry for anything. I was the idiot, not you. I mean if I were in your shoes, I would have felt a lot more than disappointment if you ask me. So I think you handled the situation with a lot more grace than I would have." 

"Still, I shouldn't have said that. I'm not disappointed Dad, at least not anymore. It's just...I have a lot on my plate." Will said, dropping himself back down on his bed. 

"I can imagine, what with your boyfriend getting kidnapped and all." Trevor said, chuckling in a sad sort of way. To Will, hearing his father say boyfriend sent a sort of happiness through him. It was the same verbal acknowledgment that Thane talked about so many times before. As soon as the happiness came, it was gone, replaced by worry at the thought of Thane. 

"I hope he's alright." Will voiced, not really to his father but to himself. 

"He will be." Trevor said, patting Will's shin in comfort. "Well, I'll let you rest. I'm sure you've had an exhausting day." Trevor got off and walked to the door. 

"Thanks again Dad."

"No problem Will. It's my duty as a parent is all." Trevor said, standing by the open door, ready to take his leave. 

"One last thing, what made you change your mind?" Will asked, curious as to his father's sudden change of heart towards him. 

"Your elite friend downstairs is very persuasive." Trevor smiled, finally leaving the room. Will could only smile at that. Varek had been so much more than a mentor to him. He had been a friend, and even a father to him, something that he was so lucky to have. Even when Varek should have been so preoccupied with finding his own missing son, he had looked out for Will's best interests. 

For the rest of the night, Will tried to distract his thoughts from Thane. On a couple of occasions, he contemplated heading downstairs to check the progress on locating him with Varek, but decided against it seeing that it would have only provided Varek with an unnecessary distraction. That didn't help him though, constantly worrying about Thane's current predicament. He tried not to think about it, but his mind automatically imagined every horrible thing that Dart could do to him, and each after the next more scary to Will. 

Eventually, sleep consumed him as the exhaustion from the day took its toll on his body. The rest however, was anything but restful. Dreams permeated his sleeping brain, all of which were about Thane. In so many of them, Will had called out to him, but he never responded, almost like an empty shell rather than the bubbly man he was used to. Seeing Thane like that, sapped the soul out of Will himself, waking up after each dream feeling more empty than when he went to sleep. 

After the third similar dream, Will wanted to stay awake, to stop these nightmares, but the body has its limits and Will found himself falling back asleep time and again. Once again, he was thrown into the same dream, Thane standing in front of him, a blank expression on his face. Everything else in the dream was a blur, only Thane in focus. This time was different though, because as Will reach out a hand to Thane, the other man spoke. 

"Will." He said, voice muffled and distant. 

"Thane?"

"Will, wake up." Thane said, his voice getting louder and clearer. 

"Wake up? What are you..." Will asked but was cut off. 

"Will wake up." Thane's mouth moved, but it wasn't his voice but Varek's. At that moment, Will woke from his dream, eyes shooting open to see Varek hovering over him. His brain was still foggy from sleep and he took awhile to register the things around him, but the next words that exited Varek's mouth woke him right up. 

"Will, I've found Thane."



The Lunar Life Ch. 10



"Will, I've found Thane." Varek said as he shook Will awake from his sleep. At the sound of those words, Will's brain shot to attention, leaving behind all the fog and blurriness of his sleep. Have you ever woken up, only to realize you overslept, and you get this sudden burst of energy? Yeah, it was the same for Will. 

"Where?" Will spoke as he sat upright, his body immediately ready to head out at a moments notice. From the look at Varek's face, Will knew the answer wasn't good. "Varek, where is Thane?" Will reiterated, panic slowly rising. He was afraid that the next sentence Varek was going to speak was that Thane was gone. 

"He's being held at The Spire." Varek said, and Will almost sighed in relief. He was glad that at least Thane wasn't dead, but with him being held at The Spire, there was no room for relief to set in. Of course it was expected, that Dart would keep Thane under his own care, and what more secure place on Lunaris than his own tower. 

Overrun with security droids, a state of the art surveillance system and force field fenced perimeter that encased the entire building, including underneath it, getting into the building without clearance was a feat in its own, not to mention that the pair had to infiltrate the building and somehow find Thane without raising any alarms. 

"What's the plan?" Will asked, throwing himself out of bed with the agility of a feline. Even in his sleep deprived state, his pistons were firing on all cylinders. 

"Follow me. I'll brief you as we go." Varek said, turning and heading out of the room. Judging from the bags under his eyes, Will knew the older elite hadn't gotten much sleep either. He would have asked Varek about it, cajole him into getting some sleep first, but he knew that Varek would have brushed it all aside for Thane. "As I'm sure you know, getting into The Spire, isn't going to be easy, it's impossible by normal standards, but of course we're not normal people now are we." Varek smirked, shooting Will a small smile. It comforted Will, knowing that even in the midst of all this, Varek could remain calm enough to joke. 

"I'm assuming you have an idea?" Will asked, following Varek into the living room. 

"Kind of, but I've run into a little bit of a problem. You see I've managed to hack into the city network, so I have access to street cameras and stuff like that. The problem is that The Spire runs on a separate network that cannot be breached from the outside. In order to gain access to its network, I need to plug my tablet into a network port within the building itself."

"But we can't pass through the force field." Will stated. 

"Exactly, so I've been combing around for possibly a weak point, or perhaps a security flaw somewhere, anything that could get us through that force field." Varek said, sitting down at his tablet. Will looked at the screen and noticed something like a blueprint displayed. 

"Is that a blueprint for The Spire?" Will asked, taking a seat beside Varek. 

Varek nodded, passing the tablet over to Will so he could peruse it. "I've spotted some blind zones in surveillance in these two spots." Varek said, pointing out two separate tunnels underneath the structure, leading directly to the core of The Spire. "If we can get in there, we should be able to go in undetected. That force field is the only thing in our way." Will thought about it, trying to find a way to get pass that fence.

He knew that there had to be some way to get through it, or else Dart himself would not be able to enter or leave. That's not to mention the hundreds of security droids that patrol the area. Then it hit him. 

"You said you had access to the street cameras?" Varek nodded at the statement. "Can you bring up the cameras surrounding The Spire?" Will asked, handing the tablet back to Varek. Varek did as he was asked, typing away at the screen before handing it back to Will. This time the screen showed live feed from four cameras that surrounded the building. In each of them, cars drove past it without a care, unknown that it was the locations of a kidnapped hostage. Beyond the cars were little droids that paced up and down the sides of the building, just behind the barely visible force field. The force field was clear, but gave off a sort of mirage effect that was a lot more visible up close. 

"What are you looking for?" Varek asked, looking between the screen and Will's concentrated face. 

"I'm just waiting for...there." Will said, pointing to the screen, finger hovering just over a droid. 

"Okay? That's a droid. What about it?" Varek asked.

"It's a droid alright, but that's not what I'm referring to. Look at it and tell me what do you see." Varek turned his attention back to the screen, watching as the droid paced up the path, before turning and pacing back in the opposite direction. It was a few seconds later that Varek caught it, the droid walking through the mirage, essentially walking through the force field. 

"The droids can pass through it." Varek said, suddenly enlightened, and slightly kicking himself for not thinking about it. "But how does that help us?"

"Well, I'm assuming that the force field is selective, meaning that should an individual with the correct source code approach it, they can pass through without harm."

"That's correct, it's programmed into the BIC, the same way a person opens their house door, but the thing is, this one is encrypted so it can be duplicated." 

"Okay but I'm pretty sure the droids don't have BICs, meaning that the codes to pass through is hidden somewhere within their programming code. All we need to do then, is get that code from the Lunaris Programming Centre and we should be able to get through."

"Probably, but like I said Will, the code is encrypted. We won't know which is the correct one."

"We don't have to. We just take the entire file and load it into our BICs. It should help us get through." Will said. Varek thought about it for a minute. The plan did have a few technicalities here and there, but it was the only plan they've got. 

"It's worth a shot. I can remotely download the file from here but it's gonna take some time; probably an hour. After that, we can leave." Just as Varek finished speaking, Trevor walked into the room. 

"You guys are leaving already?" He asked, walking down the stairs. 

"Soon. We need to get to Thane as soon as possible. Who knows what Dart is doing to him." Will said, turning away from Varek to look at his father. 

"Are you gonna be safe?" Trevor patted Will worriedly on his shoulder. He knew Will needed to do this, but he also knew that this was probably very dangerous and he didn't want Will to get hurt. 

"I don't think I can be safe anywhere Dad, not with Dart on my case." Will rubbed his face in frustration. "I wish we had some weapons or something, so we weren't helpless." Lunaris had many laws, and one of those laws was the prohibition of any sort of firearms. There just weren't any guns on Lunaris, including on security droids. They did however, have a mean Taser, which could knock you unconscious within seconds, but droids were the only one authorized to wield them. Sure, you had knifes and all that if you were really desperate, but knifes weren't very effective against droids. "Is it possible for us to get our hands on some Tasers?" Will turned, directing the question to Varek. 

"Impossible. Tasers are manufactured within The Spire itself. Probably a precaution devised by Dart himself." Varek never took an eye off his tablet as he spoke, continuing with whatever he was doing. Will sighed, somehow knowing that it wasn't going to be possible getting their hands on one. 

It was just then that Something clicked in Trevor's brain. No, he wasn't able to help them get a Taser, but he had the next best thing. "Hold on." With that, he disappeared up the stairs, leaving Will confused by his father's abrupt departure. 

It was five minutes later when Trevor returned, holding what looked like a coil of wire in his right hand. Will looked at the object, unsure of what it was. As Will got closer though, he realized that one end of the coil tapered off, gradually getting thinner in diameter before ending at a dull point. The other end of the wire led to a metallic handle with a single button on its side. Trevor held out the object to Will, waiting for his son to take it. 

Will took the whip into his hands, unsure why his father even had the thing. He gave a confused look to his father, wordlessly asking for some form of explanation. "All animal handlers had a whip like this while we still worked within the forest domes. Once the animals were put in stasis, the whips were no longer needed."

Will looked down at the coiled wire in his hand, wrapping his fingers around the handle. With one flick of his wrist, he uncoiled it, letting the wire fall to the ground with a metallic slap. Upon closer inspection, Will realized the whip wasn't actually made of a single thick wire, but small segments of metal that joined together to form the body of the whip, each piece interlocking with the next to give it flexibility. He ran his thumb over the handle, running circles around the single button there. 

"Be careful with that. Push the button and it electrifies the whip. Rotate it to adjust the voltage going through it. Give it a whirl." Trevor said, stepping back slightly to stay a safe distance from the whip. Will clicked the button and immediately the whip crackled as electricity arced between the connected segments of the body. He rotated the button, seeing the intensity of the arcs decrease and increase, depending on the direction he rotated the button. 

The light buzzing sound that emanated from the charged whip seemed to attract Varek's attention. "Oh, you have an electric whip?" Varek walked over to Will, observing the contraption as Will lightly swung it left and right. "The body is made up of alternating cathode and anode segments, allowing the electricity to follow through the length of the whip." Varek explained, out of habit more than anything. He had been teaching Will so much through his lessons that the need to explain how things worked came almost instantly. 

"I thought it would have been helpful." Trevor said, looking up at Will, who turned the whip off and began coiling it back up.

"Thanks Dad, I'm sure it can prove useful. Hopefully we won't need to use it." Will strapped the device to his belt, letting it hang by his side. 

During the hour long wait for the droid programming to be downloaded, every detail and precautions about the plan was thought about and deliberated. There were some details in the plan that were iffy, but not for a lack of trying, rather the fact that they just didn't know if it would work. One of these details was their deactivated BICs. 

Varek knew for certain that he could transfer the programming files into the dead BIC, simply needing to copy it over to the memory storage within the device, much like a flash drive. What he didn't know was how the force field would read that information. Normally, BICs used a sort of near-field-communication technology to unlock house doors and such, but he didn't know if that was the case with the force field, seeing that droids weren't built with the same technology in them. He was hoping that the field would be able to read the programming codes from it simply being on the device. 

"So best case scenario, we go through the field without so much as a stutter. Worst case scenario, the field burns us to a crisp." Varek mentioned, connecting the electrode from his tablet onto his BIC. 

"That's not very reassuring Varek." Will stated as he watched Varek transfer the downloaded files into his BIC. 

"I know it's not, but I won't be able to tell until one of us goes through that field, or should I say, tries to get through that field." Will shook his head. Yes their plan wasn't full proof, but when time was of the essence, you had to deal with what you had. 

Sometime during the downloading process, Sarah had entered the room, her features plastered with a layer of worry. Trevor shared a similar look, although slightly better hidden beneath his tough exterior. Once everything was transferred and prepared, it was time for Will and Varek to leave. Will turned to his parents, looking at them one last time, knowing that if things didn't turn out right, it could very well be the last time he saw them. 

"So I guess this is it huh." Will said, as he looked both his parents in the eyes. "I just wanna say that, whatever happens today, I love you guys."

At those words, Sarah immediately broke down, sobbing as she ran towards Will, wrapping her arms around her son. She wanted to ask him to stay, to let Varek handle the situation, but she knew Will's mind was already made up, and nothing would be able to change it. "I love you Will, and I'm so...so proud of you." 

Will in turned, tightened his grip on his mother, feeling his own tears welling up in his eyes. "I'll be okay Mom. I'll come back. I promise." Will choked back the sobs that were threatening to come out. 

"I'll hold you to that promise Will, just...please be careful." Sarah looked into her sons eyes, her tear soaked eyes blurring her vision. At this point, Trevor walked over to the pair, placing his hand onto Will's shoulder, squeezing slightly in his show of support for his son. Nothing was said between the two men, and nothing needed to be said. Both understood the gravity of the situation and both knew the risks involved. 

"I'll be here, waiting for you to get back. Okay?" Trevor mumbled, his voice tightening as he too held back his emotions. Will nodded his head, placing his hand over his father's and returning the squeeze. 

Finally, they broke apart, taking deep breaths to steady themselves. It wasn't the place for tears. Tears were for goodbyes, and Will was determined that this wasn't going to be his last goodbye. He was going to do everything in his power to keep his promise. 

"The car's here Will. I'll meet you outside." Varek said as he exited the house, heading for the vehicle parked out in front. Will nodded before taking one last look at his parents. 

"I'll be back. I promise. I love you guys." Will said, turning and following Varek out the door. Behind him, Trevor held Sarah as they watched their son leave, in their hearts praying that their son would safely return to them. 

Will stepped into the hovercar, taking one final deep breath to stow away any leftover emotions. He needed to focus on the task at hand. "You don't need to come you know?" Varek spoke from beside him. 

"What?"

"I can do this. You can stay here with your parents." 

"Wha...no! I need to...I can't live with myself if anything...if anything happened to Thane and I sat behind, not doing anything." 

"Are you sure?" Varek asked one more time. He really didn't want Will putting himself at unnecessary risk. Will nodded his reply, making Varek sigh. He turned to the driver, directing him to their destination. 

The Spire. 

Varek fished out a couple of devices from his pocket, holding one out to Will. The devices were small and curved into a C-shape with one side covered in a gel material. "In-ear communicators, in case we get separated." Will nodded, grabbing the device and inserting it into his right ear. "Testing. Can you hear me?" Varek spoke and Will heard him both in person and through the tiny ear speakers, nodding his response. 

"So, these tunnels that lead into the tower..." Will started.

"Power and sewage tunnels respectively. For obvious reasons, we're gonna use the power tunnel. There is an access hatch in the building to the north of The Spire, we'll enter through there."

"Any security we should be wary off?" 

"We'll have to steer clear of the street cameras but other than that, there should be no immediately danger within the tunnel." Will took that as Varek trying to be as comforting as possible, but this was Dart they were talking about. With him holding Thane there, he must expect that they would eventually try to rescue him, and as such would take every precaution to ensure that they would not succeed. He needed to be prepared for anything. 

The ride to the city centre felt longer than it ever felt before, feeling paranoid that someone might be following them and at anytime, catch them by surprise. Looking out the window ever so often, Will found out it was not the case. Elites went about their daily business, oblivious to the fact that someone was being held hostage in President Dart's tower. 

As the tall structure got bigger as they approached it, so did the nerves Will was feeling. By the time they pulled into the building adjacent The Spire, Will was just about shaking. Adrenaline coursed through his veins, preparing his body for anything that might be thrown his way, but strangely, nothing happened. Making their way into the underground tunnel had been smooth, something Will was thankful for, but not what he expected. 

"I thought Dart would have had the place crawling with security by now." Will muttered as they made their way down the tunnel, in the direction of The Spire. 

"It's peculiar yes, but I'm not complaining. Hopefully it's just a case of complacency with him." Varek said, slowing to a snails pace. "We're almost to the force field. Watch your step, wouldn't want to accidentally trip into the damn thing."

Both of them kept their eyes peeled for the distinct mirage effect created by the field, almost indiscernible if not paying attention. It was just then that Will spotted it, the slight warping of the air just a few meters ahead of Varek. He pulled onto the older elite, bringing him to a halt before he collided with the fence of energy. Bending down, he picked up a small stone and tossed it down the path ahead of them. The stone flew through the air before colliding with an invisible wall, a slight sizzle and spark emanating upon its contact. 

"I guess we're here then." Varek said as he looked to Will. Now was the moment of truth; the time to find out if their plan was going to work. "I'll go first, if I end up dying, you need to think about something else."

"No!" Will shouted, his voice echoing down the tunnel, making Varek stop in his tracks. "I'll go. If you die, I'm pretty much useless. You on the other hand, will still be able figure out another course of action. I'm not arguing about this Varek."

The commanding tone in Will's voice was undeniable. He wasn't taking no for an answer. Varek frowned at the younger man but conceded to his request. Will turned to face the invisible wall, walking up to the edge of it. The field was almost invisible and gave off no sound, but at his close proximity, he could definitely feel it. It felt like standing next to a statically charged pole, the hairs on his body standing on ends, as he got closer. Under normal circumstances, that alone would have made him back away, but he had a mission. 

"Well, here goes." He brought a hand up, bringing it to the surface of the field. The air almost buzzed around his fingers as he approached, setting goose bumps erupting across his skin. With one final breath, he pushed his hand through, bracing for any pain he might have felt, but there was none. He held his hand there, partly through the field, feeling the thin film of static that danced across his skin. It worked. 

He walked through, feeling the wall of static run over his body. As quickly as it came, it disappeared once he made it through completely. Clenching and unclenching his fists, he checked to seeing everything was okay. Not noticing anything wrong, he looked up and saw Varek watching him. He gave a thumbs up, Varek nodding in response as he too took big steps towards the field. 

As Varek passed through, the air sizzled around him, as if the field was only partially allowing him to enter, but still he made it through. "That felt weird." Varek voiced as he stepped through the field and stood next to Will. "I'm assuming the field must only be barely reading the code from our dead BICs, hence the strange static."




The Lunar Life Ch. 10



"We can discuss the implications of that later. What matters now is that it worked." Will said, trying to remind Varek their purpose of coming to The Spire in the first place. Varek nodded, continuing down the path with brisk steps. The pair continued down the dark tunnel, only the sound of their feet upon the rock floor reverberating through the silence. Will remain on high alert while Varek had his eyes glued onto the blueprint of the building, directing them left, right and centre, to lead them to the centre of the entire structure. 

Will kept expecting something to spring up and catch them; security droids, traps or even just an alarm, but there were none. Logically, it should have made him relieved, but all he got was more tensed. The Spire wasn't supposed to be easy to infiltrate under normal circumstances, and with Dart holding Thane there, Will expected security to be multiplied ten folds. Something about how easy it was to get in, made him have a strange feeling in his stomach. 

Varek stopped abruptly, causing Will to bump into him. Will jumped back in surprise, not expecting Varek to halt without so much as a warning. He was jumpy enough as it was and he didn't need any more surprises. "Why did we stop?" Will asked, looking ahead past Varek, only to see the reason. It was a dead end, the brick wall blocking any further advancement. "Did we take a wrong turn somewhere?"

"No, we're here." At Varek's words, Will raised a questioning eyebrow. 

"Um...it's a dead end Varek."

"It looks like that, but..." Varek ran his hand along the wall next to him, lightly tapping each brick as he went, finally coming to rest on a single brick. The smile that Varek gave was even more confusing. It looked like any other brick, so why was Varek so happy. "...looks can sometimes be deceiving." With that, Varek pushed in the brick, the block receding an inch before sliding to the side and out of view behind an adjacent brick. 

Behind it was a small metallic square, with nothing more than two small LED lights and a small port of some sort. "How did you know that was there?"

"It's all in the blueprint...well that, and the brick facade was made of plastic." Varek smiled, making Will shake his head at Varek's seemingly too calm exterior. 

"What is it anyway?"

Varek took out his tablet as well as a cable as he spoke. "It's one of The Spire's network ports." While he spoke, Varek began connecting one end of the cable into his tablet, and the other end into the port. "While plugged in like this, I should be able to hack into The Spire's systems."

Will watched quietly as Varek did his thing, fingers moving so fast across the tablet screen they were a blur. Suddenly a sound came from Will's left, startling him for the second time within the last ten minutes. The once dead end had parted to show an elevator behind it. 

"There, that should lead us right to Dart's quarters, Thane is up there somewhere." Varek said, disconnecting his tablet from the port. Just as he did so, the elevator closed. Will looked to his left, trying to spot any sort of button to open the doors. "Damn, I was afraid of that." Varek said. 

"Why, what happened?"

"I can only control the system if I'm plugged in. Once I disconnect, the system auto locks out to prevent any sort of unauthorized use." Varek said, once again plugging his tablet into the port. 

"Can't we leave the tablet here and go?" 

"We can, but I don't know what the situation is up there. If anything goes wrong I need to have access try to get us out. I won't be able to do that if I leave the tablet here."

At those words, Will knew what had to be done. "You stay here then, monitor the situation while I go up and look for Thane."

"What?! Will, no. We need to stick together."

"We don't have a choice Varek. We need to rescue Thane and if that means I have to go up there alone, then that's what we'll do. We'll communicate through our in-ears." Varek sighed, knowing that Will was right. There was no time think about something else. 

"I'll do what I can to help you in any way possible." Will nodded, turning and heading into the elevator. "Please...be careful, Will."

"I will." Will looked at Varek as the door closed. The look on Varek's face told him just how much he meant to the older man because he saw the exact same look on his parents' faces just earlier that day. There was no telling what was going to happen once Will got up there, and Varek knew it could very well be the day that he lose not only Thane, but Will as well.

As he felt the elevator ascend, Will took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. This wasn't the time for emotions; he needed to be focused. So he tried not thinking about Varek, his parents, or that this could be his last few hours alive, putting those thoughts to the back of his mind. He focused on the task at hand, and only one person. Thane. 

The elevator ride felt like it went on forever. Not only was it a pretty high climb to get to the top of the tower, it didn't help that time seemed to stretch when you were counting the seconds go by. With each passing second, Will had to fight the ever increasing nerves that were bubbling within him, seemingly proportional to the height of the elevator. 

"You're almost there." Varek's voice came from his in-ear communicator.

"What am I to expect once I get there?"

"I have no idea. Dart's quarters are devoid of security cameras, I can't see what's happening in there." Will sighed, already expecting the answer. "I've been scanning the rest of the security feed and most of the security drones are located near the base of The Spire. That means, if Dart were to call for reinforcements, it would take some time for them to get to you."

"Let's just hope he doesn't already have reinforcements deployed in his quarters."

"Yes, I guess that too. Only one more floor Will, prepare yourself." Varek muttered. Will exhaled sharply, shaking away his nerves, his right hand hovering over the whip secured to his belt, in the event he needed to draw it quickly. The elevator slowed, coming to a smooth halt, it's metals door parting with a hiss. 

Will peered out of the elevator, looking for any signs of movement, any sound, anything that might indicate signs of hostile forces. There were none. 

Cautiously, Will stepped out, his feet light on the tile floors to avoid any sound that might alert someone to his presence, his hand standing at the ready by his whip. The room was circular, completely white and strangely, completely empty. 

"Varek, I'm in."

"Okay, according to the blueprint, there should be a room to your left. From the system's maintenance mainframe, I see a surge in power consumption in that area. My guess is that that is where Thane is kept." As Will listen to Varek, the frown on his face increased. 

"What room?" Will asked, confused. All he saw was a single large empty room. No doors anywhere, except the elevator behind him. 

"On the left, the door right next to the elevator." Will raised an eyebrow. 

"Varek, there is no door. It's just one big empty room."

"What? No, according the blueprints, your in a hallway after exiting the elevator, with doors on either side and the living room in front of you." Varek spoke. 

"Varek, I'm looking at the room right now and I can sure as hell tell you there is no hallway." 

"No...it can't be. Something's not right. You should get out of there now." Varek shouted. 

"What about Thane? We can't leave him here."

"Will, listen to me! Turn around and head back to the elevator. I think Dart is up to something." Will wanted to stay and find Thane, but Varek was telling him to go. He was so close, already inside Dart's quarters and he had to turn back? With a huff, he turned back to the elevator.

A few feet away from the entrance, the doors slid shut. "Varek, open the doors."

"I...can't. I don't have control over it anymore. Shit...something's wrong, you..." 

Varek's voice cut off abruptly, the signal going dead. 

"Varek?" Will called out, scared for Varek's safety. 

The sound of slow clapping captured Will's attention, spinning around so fast his head became dizzy. There, standing in the middle of the room, was Dart, dressed in all white, almost blending into the background. "Hello William." Dart laughed, all the while continuing his slow clap. 

"What did you do to Varek?" Will growled, the sight of the president immediately setting his anger off. 

"Varek is here? Oh good, saved me the trouble of needed to search the city for him." Dart said. That brought some comfort to Will, knowing that the disconnection wasn't caused by Dart. 

"Where is Thane!?"

"Oh of course, you're here for Thane. Well, it would be rude of me to deny you." Dart smiled, waving his hand to the right. Will turned in that direction, seeing the white tiles parting, revealing a hole in the floor. From this hole, two metal beams came up, each with lights running down them. As the platform continued to rise, Will noticed something else, something between the two beams. 

Seeing Thane brought emotions running through Will. For one, he was happy that Thane was alive, but then he felt sadness, when he saw the bruises that covered Thanes face. Seeing his semi conscious state however, replaced all emotions with anger towards Dart. Thane hung from his wrists, large bracelets encircling them, floating seemingly in mid air by what Will could only assume were electromagnets. "Will..." Thane breathed out, hardly able to talk in his dazed state. 

Will began to run towards Thane, wanting nothing but to hold the man close to him, but Dart stopped him. 

"Ah ah ah, don't want to do that. It might be a little...painful." Dart smirked. With a wave of his hand, a holographic interface appeared in front of him, much like his special BIC hologram but bigger. At the same time, the force field that surrounded Thane became visible momentarily, looking like an electrically charged egg. 

"What do you want Dart!?" Will shouted. 

"What do I want?" The smile on Dart's face slowly fell, replaced by the scowl that could terrify children. "I want to rid the colony of this plague we call homosexuality."

"So what? You want to kill us?"

"Oh William, you need to think of the big picture here. You know, this may have been difficult, tracking you down, but I knew you wouldn't let Thane here suffer, so I guess I have to thank you, for coming to me instead. I've got to say though, I thought you'd have wised up to the idea when you realized how easy it was to get in." Will's scowl fell. It was a trap, and they fell right into it. "You didn't actually think it would have been that easy getting in did you? For your information, I let you in."

"If you wanted to kill me, why not do it if you knew I was coming? Why wait till I get here?"

The laugh that Dart let out sent a chill down Will's spine. "Why? Because I don't just want to kill you, William. I need to plan for the future, make sure something like this doesn't happen again. Back before the migration, scientist gave up in trying to find the 'gay' gene. Well with the technology we have now, I'm sure we can get more conclusive results. That's why I need you both, to find out which parts of your genome code for the same thing. Once we find what makes you tick, we can find a way to snuff it, nip it in the bud."

"So what, you make sure a few elites won't be gay, what about the rest of Lunaris? natals are not genetically altered." Will stated, unsure of what good arguing would do. 

"Oh, so naive. Do you honestly think natals are not altered? We've been doing it all along. Sure we don't make you guys all perfect, but we tweak a little here and there." Will frowned, unsure if Dart was telling the truth or simply lying. Dart however, apparently caught on to Will's thoughts. "Oh it's true. How you ask? Well it was quite simple really, and the answer lies on your wrist, all locked away in your tiny BIC. Nano bots, my personal design. Little robots that enter your bloodstream from your BIC. Right from conception, these nano bots do everything that is required, to eliminate any defects that might arise. 

"Of course, there are many other applications. I'm sure you know of the rumor surrounding me being the former CEO of Highland. Well, I'll put those rumors to rest by saying, yes I am. You see these nano bots can do so much more than just alter genetic material. They can even repair cells, essentially making them live forever. Making me, live forever. Of course, no one Lunaris knows this other than me, what with immortality being such a taboo subject and all, but seeing that you're going to take this to your grave, I thought you should at least know."

"You're sick, you know that. No one should live forever, especially not someone like you." Will spat out. It all made sense now though, why Dart didn't look elite. Why he had the wrinkles that other elites didn't possess. He wasn't made perfect, just altered and kept alive after the technology allowed it. 

"Oh but I'm not the sick one here Will, you two are. Which leads me to the next use of these nano bots. It seems only logical that with the ability to repair cells, they also have the ability to destroy them, causing cell lysis and leading to spontaneous necrosis. A demonstration perhaps? Maybe on...you?" Dart smirked evilly, never looking as dangerous as he did just at that moment. Will didn't have the time to react as Dart, pushed a couple buttons on his interface and looked up knowingly. 

Will stood there, waiting for something to happen but even after five seconds, nothing. The answer came right to Will. His BIC was deactivated; Dart had no control over him. "It's dead Dart. You can't do anything to me."

Dart's eyes narrowed as he realized his plan failed, but he wasn't going down without a fight. "Oh that's a shame, I was so looking forward to you writhing in pain. No matter though, I think I'll enjoy Thane in pain just the same." Will eyes bulged at the statement, watching as Darts finger swiftly ran across his control centre. 

The cry that emanated from Thane wracked Will with panic. Thane convulsed against his restraints, thrashing his body around from the intense pain that was filling his body. Every inch of his body burned from the nano bots slowly destroying him for the inside, the tiny robots breaking every cell they encountered. Seeing Thane tossing around like that made Will want to throw up. 

He couldn't take it. He needed Dart to stop. 

"Stop it! You can have me, just let Thane go." Will pleaded, anything to get Dart to stop. 

"It's too late for that now Will. You think you can play god? Only I can do that, and you won't get any kind of mercy from me."

The sounds of Thane's screams pierced every fiber of Will's being, unhinging him slowly. He needed to make it stop, do something to stop Thane's pain. With all the strength he could muster, Will grabbed the whip at his belt, releasing it with one swift flick. Turning the knob to maximum, Will pressed the button on the handle, the whip immediately crackling to life with electricity. 

Dart watched Will, seeing the look of utter rage written across his face as he reeled his arm back, ready to send it in Dart's direction. Dart on the other hand, had a look of complete calm on his face, the least bit worried that he was about to be assaulted. Will wanted to see Dart convulse under the electricity of the whip, make him feel whatever pain he was causing Thane. 

He wanted Dart dead.

Thane's cries fueling his body, Will threw his arm forward with everything he got, sending the sparking whip flying towards Dart. The coil of metal snaked towards Dart, slicing through the air, crackling ominously, ready to wipe the smirk off Dart's face. 

There was a loud crash, as electricity arced from the whip after coming into contact with a solid object, the resulting flash of light blinding Will in the process. Will expected Dart to be on the floor, unconscious, but the old man stood as if nothing had happened. Residual sparks of electricity danced across the invisible egg of energy surrounding Dart, surrounding him in a safe cocoon. 

He was shielded too. 

Will assaulted the shield with a barrage of whips, wishing that just one would penetrate the armor, giving Dart his just deserts, but every strike Will unleashed ended in a burst of sparks and light as they collided with the force field. 

Will's fist clenched in frustration. "Wi...Will...can you...hear..." Varek's voiced sounded through his in ear communicator, static laced. "Will, are you okay?"

"Varek, he's hurting Thane. He has a shield around him that I can't get through." Will stated as he darted his eyes over to Thane, his screams abruptly cutting off as the elite lost consciousness. Panic boiled up in Will stomach, praying that Thane wasn't dead. 

"Ah, Varek's back I see." Dart said, noticing Will's conversation with himself. "Almost forgot about him. Well I think I should send a welcoming party for him don't you think." Dart laughed, fingers typing on his control centre, sending drones searching for Varek. 

"I'm already working on bringing the shields down." Varek spoke. 

Will's eyes were locked onto Thane's motionless body, hoping to see any signs of life. Anything, a twitch or something. Something to show him that Thane wasn't dead. 

"Oh he's not dead...not yet at least." Dart smirked, drawing a teary eyed glare from Will. "See Will, it's pointless. All your resistance, your little futile attempts to save dear Thane. It's all pointless. You never had a chance, wouldn't have even gotten into the building had I not allowed it. It's cute, when you actually believed that you had a chance to stop me.

"I had such high hopes for you too, it's such a shame really. You were the first natal elite transition. You could have been so special, so full of promise. Turns out I was wrong. You're not special, it was simply serendipity that you were thrown into your current life. 

"After all this though, at least you could say that you tried, but then again, who is gonna hear you say it. You're gonna be dead soon anyway, and I will still be here, living forever. Face it Will, you lost. You can't touch me." Dart smirked. 

Will clenched his fingers around his whip so hard, his knuckles turned white. Anger was pouring out of him, seething with rage, wanting nothing more than to torture the bastard in front of him. He wanted to see the man suffer, wishing that he had some way around that shield. 

As if luck was on his side, Varek screamed into his earpiece, "Will, shields are down! Shields are down!" 

"Fuck you Dart." Will shouted, once again sending his whip towards Dart. This time though, instead of colliding with the invisible wall, the whip coiled around Darts arm. The man didn't even have time to realize his shield had failed before 1000 volts of electricity coursed through his body, sending his body convulsing before collapsing into a heap on the floor. 

Without a stutter, Will ran to Thane's limp body, hanging against the restraints that held him upright. Recalling his training he received when he interned as a nurse, he quickly brought two fingers to Thane's neck, checking for any signs of a carotid pulse. 

There was none. 

"Varek, he doesn't have a pulse." Will cried out, his voice cracking as he battled to keep his emotions in check. 

"Shit...um...I'm gonna release his restraints. Be prepared to catch him." Varek said.

Will wrapped him arms around Thane's body, supporting his weight onto himself. "Thane, please wake up." He whimpered as he held his head against Thane's chest. A second later, the restraints unlocked, Will bearing the full weight of Thane as he slowly brought him down to the floor. 

As a precaution he checked for a pulse a second time, hoping that he would feel even the slightest sign that Thane was alive. Nothing. 




The Lunar Life Ch. 10



"Will, you need to reverse the nano bots. Dart said that they had the ability to heal cells too." At Varek's words, Will turned his attention to Dart'ss console, sprinting as fast as he could to the interface. He stared at the screens, trying to make sense of what was in front of him. To the right, he spotted Thane's vitals chart, seeing the line that correlated to his heart rate. A small comfort to Will was noticing that it wasn't a flat line but a ventricular fibrillation, basically meaning a quivering heart. He wasn't totally gone yet. 

Scanning the screen, he finally saw the small button at the bottom of the screen, tapping it and revealing a long list of options to perform on Thane's BIC. He spotted the option labeled NB, Will assumed referred to the nano bots, clicking it which led to another list of options. Frustration built up in Will, feeling like this was taking forever, time being a luxury that Thane didn't have.

Scanning the list, he finally saw the option labeled repair. He clicked it, looking up to Thane's body, expecting, hoping to see something happen. Thane's body stayed motionless. 

"Shit, I can hear security approaching Will. I don't..." Varek abruptly cut off. 

"Varek?" Will asked, but there was no reply. He was alone again. 

He brought his eyes to the vitals chart, wishing that the VF rhythm would correct to a normal sinus rhythm with the help of the nano bots. When nothing happened, he knew he needed to do something; standing there wasn't helping. He had learned a lot as a nurse, surely he could apply what he knew. 

Running over to Thane's body, he knelt down beside him, immediately commencing CPR. He started his chest compressions, giving a couple breaths after each cycle. By this time, tears were starting to flow from Will's eyes, dripping onto the fabric of Thane's shirt. "C'mon Thane, you can't leave me like this. You can't die on me." 

Checking Thane's pulse again, he felt himself snapping when there was still none. He cursed the fact that there wasn't a defibrillator around; an AED or something. Like having an epiphany, he remembered the whip lying behind him. 

Grabbing the apparatus, he brought it to him, smashing it onto the ground with as much force as possible. The whip broke apart, each segment of the whip disconnecting from the next, wires running though the centre unraveling. He recalled Varek mentioning that the segments comprised of alternating cathodes and anodes, so he figured that if he did this correctly, he could fashion a crude AED. 

He brought two adjacent segments, placing one by Thane's right collarbone, the other at the base of Thane's left rib cage. He dialed down the voltage on the whip, not wanting to overload Thane's body, which could inevitably kill him instead. Taking a deep breath, Will pressed the button on the whip, sending electricity coursing though Thane, his body twitching slightly from the jolt. 

Desperation climbed to levels Will had never felt before. He needed this to work. The thought of losing Thane scared Will so much, even more than losing his own life. Checking for Thane's pulse, Will hoped that it worked, wanting only to be able to feel a pulse, but still, nothing. 

"No, c'mon Thane. Fight for me." Will cried, turning the knob on the whip, increasing the voltage, pushing the button once again, sending Thane's body jerking slightly. "You have to come back. 

"I...I love you."



The Lunar Life Ch. 11



The incessant distant beeping was the only sound he could hear, echoing in the empty silence around him. Focusing on the rhythmic electronic ticks, he tried finding its source, trying to approach the sound. 

He set his mind to the task, to find the source of the sound, pin pointing its direction and heading towards it. As it got louder and clearer, he started to hear other sounds mixed in. Voices, muffled and indistinguishable could be heard in the background. Still he pushed on. 

"How are you doing?" He heard, the first thing that he could make out. The voice was familiar but he couldn't put the face to it. 

"About as good as I can be." The other party replied, but this voice he knew without a doubt. He loved that voice, the smooth tenor he wanted to wake up to every morning. Will. 

His senses slowly came back to him; the sounds of the place, the smell of coffee and the feeling of a warm blanket over his body. All this paled in comparison to the warmth he felt in his left hand though, feeling Will's fingers interlaced with his own. The last thing he remembered was seeing Will in The Spire, confronting Dart on his nefarious plans. All he could remember was how, since his capture, he kept wishing he could tell Will he loved him

Thane cracked open his eyes, the light in the room blinding him temporarily. As his eyes adjusted, he found himself in a hospital room, Will by his bed talking to his mother. Neither the other two had noticed him, going on about a conversation regarding Will getting some much needed sleep. Thane gave Will's hand a light squeeze, trying to get the other man's attention. 

The pressure he felt in his hand brought Will's attention straight to the elite lying in bed, forgoing any conversation he was having with his mother. "Thane?" He said, shock filling him as he saw the man he loved with his eyes open. 

"Hey." Thane croaked out, his voice hoarse and gravely. 

Upon seeing Thane show signs of consciousness, Sarah wasted no second, immediately running out of the room in search of a doctor. 

"Thane? Oh my god, you're awake. You're really awake." Will said, a tear spilling from his eyes. Happiness filled him to the point of tears, unable to hold back his feelings. Since that day in The Spire, Will had been worried sick for Thane. Sure he had managed to jump start his heart, but Thane hadn't regained consciousness. For five days, Will feared that Thane never would, with the fear only growing with each passing day. 

Thane brought his hand up, wiping away the tears from Will's face, seeing the IV lines connected to his wrist. "Hey, don't cry. I'm fine...at least I think I am." Thane joked, cracking a small smile.

Will chuckled into Thane's palm, relieved that he still could joke around. "You were out for five days Thane. I thought I had lost you." 

"When Dart captured me, I thought I would never see you again." Thane said, running his finger across Will's cheek. He needed to say it, tell Will what his heart was screaming to the sky. "I love you Will."

Will's eyes bulged as he looked into the silver eyes of Thane, wondering if he had heard correctly, not expecting Thane to say that. He had to admit, that he only realized he loved Thane when the other man was on the brink of death and he didn't know if Thane shared his feelings, but now Thane had said it out loud, putting to rest any doubts he may have had. 

Thane watched as Will stare at him in shock, unsure of how to take the reaction Will was giving. He feared that he may have spoken too soon, that perhaps Will didn't love him in the same way, afraid that this might scare Will off, which was exactly the last thing he wanted. 

Will was just about to speak when the door burst open, in coming his mother and Tracey, a healthcare droid following in after them. Thane's attention shot up to the two new occupants of the room. "Thane, it's great you're awake. How are you feeling?" Tracey asked, walking over to Thane's side. 

"A little sore all over but I think I'm otherwise fine." Thane said, adjusting his body slightly, noticing how his muscles and joints ached, something he hadn't even realize until Tracey has asked, what with being preoccupied with Will prior. 

"That's to be expected." Tracey said, retrieving a small flashlight from her pocket, instructing Thane to look at her, shining the light in each eye. "Pupils equal and reactive to light." She stated, the droid behind her immediately copying her words onto their online patient database. "Keep your head still and just look at my finger." She instructed once again, moving her finger left and right, up and down and watched for Thane's eye movements, after which proceeding to snap her fingers on each side of Thane's head, checking if he could hear just fine. 

"Are you feeling any giddiness or feeling lightheaded?" Thane shook his head, waiting for Tracey to complete her assessment. "Everything seems to be in order. We'll remove the IV lines later on and we'll see if you're able to ambulate properly. After what happened to you, it's amazing there isn't any permanent damage. If fact, you may be healthier than you previously were."

"What actually happened to me to be exact? I don't remember much." Thane asked. 

"I'll leave that to Will to explain. For now, I'll leave you two. It's good your back to joining the living Thane." Tracey smiled, turning on her heels and leaving the room. Sarah too smiled warmly at him before leaving the room, leaving the two men alone once again. Thane turned his attention to Will, who he still worried that he might have scared off due to his declaration of love. 

"Dart basically tore you up from the inside, using these nano bots that are in your BIC." Will began without Thane even asking. "You went unconscious, your heart stopped, about everything bad that could have happened. I reversed it, using the nano bots to repair you instead, but you still didn't have a pulse, so I fashioned a makeshift defibrillator and jump-started your heart. Eventually got you to the hospital somehow, where you have remained unconscious for the past five days." Will said. All this time, he stood at the foot of the bed, a little too far for Thane's liking and he really thought he had screwed up big time. 

"Oh...Will...I'm sorry if I scared you."

"It's not your fault. You didn't ask to be unconscious, but I'm glad you know I was worried as fuck." Will chuckled. Thane was at least relieved that Will was still joking with him. 

"I didn't mean that. I mean...about what I said...just now."

Will raised an eyebrow, one side of his lip curling up in a smile. Walking over to the side of the bed, he sat down, grabbing Thane's hand in his. "Who said you scared me?" 

Now Thane was confused. "But it looked like you didn't like what you heard."

Will shook his head, chuckling lightly. "Some psychologist you are. I was just shocked, and happy to be honest. If you can't tell I love you too, you should really apologize to your mother for being such a failed successor to her."

Thane didn't know if he wanted to smile or have his jaw hanging open. "You...love me too?" He repeated, a little dazed. 

"You may have brain damage after all." Will joked, poking fun at Thane's apparent lack of coherence. Preoccupied with laughing, Will was caught off guard when Thane pulled him, his body landing on top of Thane's, where their lips met each other. The feeling of Will's soft lips made Thane melt into the bed. It seemed like so long ago since they last kissed, and it was like abstaining from a drug that you have grown dependent on. For Will, the kiss meant so much to him, watching over Thane the past few days wondering if he would wake, and finally being able to kiss the man he loved brought him immense joy. 

They broke the kiss, Will smiling down at the man in front of him. "I love you." Will muttered, knowing that he hadn't actually said the phrase directly to Thane. 

"I love you too." Thane said, bringing his hand up and cradling Will's cheek in his palm. 

"Aww, that's so sweet." The petite voice came from the entrance, belonging to a girl no taller than 5'2". She had silver eyes that matched Thane's and platinum hair to match. The left side of her head was shaved in an undercut fashion; her long hair flipped across her head and lay in soft curls on the opposite side of her head. Her left exposed ear had three piercings running along the top, giving her an almost punk kind of look. She also had perfectly proportional features, indicative of her elite status. 

"Hey Alena." Thane chuckled at his sister. Behind her, Cassandra walked in, beaming when she saw her son. She ran over to his side, giving him a big hug. Will smiled at the scene, although a little shocked at Cassandra's show of emotions, always being the stoic figure he knew her as. He figured even an expert like her let her emotions show under the right circumstances. 

"Oh honey, I'm so glad you're awake. I've been worried sick." She said, brushing the stray hair off Thane's face. 

"I think Will has got you beat though Mom." Alena spoke, turning to her bedridden brother. "You're boyfriend here hasn't left your side for more than an hour at a time."

Thane turned to Will only to see him blush a shade of crimson. He smiled, giving Will's hand a squeeze to show how much he appreciated it. "Where's Dad?" Thane asked, noticing his missing father. 

"I called him as soon as we heard you're awake. He has some new responsibilities to take care of." Cassandra said, her cryptic words doing nothing but confuse Thane. Seeing his puzzled expression, Will decided to enlighten Thane, reaching over to the bedside console, turning on the TV in the corner of the room, directing his attention to it. 

What played was a news segment, the newscaster narrating as images flashed across the screen. Thane saw his father in the video, in the counsel chamber. "Earlier today, Varek Hopper was sworn in as the new President of Lunaris. This is following the vote by the Lunaris counsel, which elected Hopper to succeed former President, Everett Dart. It was President Hopper, who earlier this week, exposed Dart's plans of murdering two Lunarisions, as well as his unethical use of nano bot technology to prolong his lifespan. Investigations have uncovered evidence that Dart had been involved in a number of other elite deaths, all of whom had voiced disagreement with Dart on his many policies he implemented while in office. Dart has since been tried in court and awaits the death penalty for murder as well as crimes against society."

Thane stared at the TV in shock. He didn't know which news was more shocking, that his father was the new president, or that Dart finally got what he deserved. "Dad's becoming president?" He spoke to no one in particular, simply voicing out his thoughts. 

"Became. The counsel didn't have a tough time deciding." Cassandra corrected. 

"Apparently, Varek recorded the entire monologue Dart gave when I confronted him. When I lost contact with him in Dart's quarters, I didn't know he could still hear us. Well, he could, and he captured every single detail of Dart's plan." Will said.

"Wow, this all seems so unreal to me."

"A lot did happen while you were out." 

At that moment, a nurse popped her head into the room. "Sorry to interrupt, but Mrs. Hopper, I need for you to follow me to finish up some paperwork regarding your son's warding." Cassandra nodded, turning and giving her son one last hug before following the nurse out. 

"So big brother, are you going to formally introduce me?" Alena smirked, cocking her head in Will's direction, eliciting a raised eyebrow from Will. 

"Alena, we already know who each other is."

"Oh I know that Will, I just wanted to hear Thane here say it." She smiled, making Will shake his head in amusement. 

"I see she's already started annoying you too." Thane spoke to Will.

"You have no idea."

The rest of the afternoon was spent getting Thane reoriented. News of his awakening started spreading like wildfire, with visitors popping in every few minutes to see him. Everyone from Varek, to Trevor and even a couple of elite acquaintances he didn't really know too well. What Thane noticed however, was with every visitor who walked through the door to his room, Will stayed by his side, his hand nestled firmly within his own. Mostly, everyone didn't seem perturbed seeing two men holding hands, some even stating how cute they looked together. 

"Is there something else I should know?" Thane asked when his latest visitor left. Varek was standing by the corner, smiling expectantly at his son. He had been watching Thane, seeing his reaction and waiting for him to finally ask the question he knew was plaguing his mind. 

"Regarding?" Will asked, to which Thane simply lifted their joined hands. Will smiled, turning to Varek, waiting for him to speak. Thane looked to his father, patiently awaiting an answer. 

"Being president has its perks." Varek said, immediately reminding Thane that Dart had said something similar before. "I may have tweaked a few laws here and there."

"But people don't just change in the course of a few days. Law or no law, people wouldn't except this so easily, would they?" 

"No, of course it's going to take some time to completely change people's view on the matter. It seems that most people didn't really have much of a problem with gay people to begin with, simply going with what they thought was expected of them. With Dart now incriminated, many of his past policies have lost so much popularity that it has changed people's views on certain matters, particularly homosexuality."

"So what does that mean actually, for us?" Thane asked. 

"Well, it seems like maybe you two don't have to keep this secret within the confines of Helios Grove anymore." Varek smiled. 

Thane looked to Will, who was smiling so big it became infectious. "I'm all for it if you are."

"Did you really need to ask?" Thane replied, giving Will a sweet kiss. 

Tracey returned later in the afternoon to make sure there weren't any mobility issues with Thane. Walking caused every joint and muscle to ache but he figured that after being torn apart from the inside, a little ache was minor. After making sure that everything was fine, Tracey gave the green light for Thane to be discharged. Thane couldn't wait to get home, to have a Steve whip him up a nice home cooked meal. 

On the ride home, Will and Thane were alone in the car, apart from the driver droid. "It's strange to see Tracey so professional isn't it? I'm so used to her jumping around, it's almost weird to see her actually doing her job so well." Thane voiced. 

"I got used to it by the second day. She kept giving me sneaky side glances though, and I could almost see the little squeal she was trying so hard to contain when she saw me holding your hand." Will laughed, recalling the constipated look on Tracey's face the first time she saw them joined at the hands. At the time, Thane was still unconscious so Will couldn't enjoy the moment, but looking back now, it made him want to burst out laughing. 

Soon, they were back to Helios Grove. Thane groaned when he exited the car, stretching his muscles as he stood up straight. "I think I need to give you a massage later." Will said, noting Thane's groans every time he moved. 

"I'll hold you to that promise."

Upon entering the house, Steve came in to greet them. "Master Thane, it's so good to have you back home. I trust your hospital stay was pleasant."

"It's nice to see you too Steve. The hospital was fine, but I am really craving for a good meal now." Thane said. 

"I'll get right on that Sir." Steve replied, swiftly heading to the kitchen. 

"Even Steve missed you." Will said as he locked elbows with Thane, waltzing slowly towards the kitchen. 

"I'm hoping not as much as you did though."

Will shot a raised eyebrow at Thane. "You're awfully cheesy today, you know that. I'm starting to think there really is something wrong with your head."

"Yep, there has to be if I'm in love with you, right?" Thane rebutted. 

"There's the Thane I know." Will chuckled. 

After the slow dinner the pair had together, Thane was completely satisfied. Not only was his hunger fulfilled, but also a quiet evening with Will was something like a nice little date for him. After bidding Steve goodnight, the pair retreated to their bedroom. With the size of the house, it would normally take a few minutes just to get from the kitchen to their rooms, but while enjoying each other's company, a few minutes became much longer as the happy couple strolled leisurely to their room, swinging their joined hands in between them. 

"You know, we've been together for some time now and we still haven't decided." Will said.

"Decide what?"

"Do I move into your room, or you into mine?"

"Does it really matter? I mean as long as we're in the same bed every night I don't see a need to decide whose room we use." Thane replied, smirking. He knew what Will was implying though. Since they already technically lived together, it was Will's funny little way of asking if he could move in with him. 

"Do I really need to spell things out for you?" 

"I don't think that's necessary, message received loud and clear. So take this as my formal invitation for you to move into my room." Thane smiled, bowing slightly as if talking to royalty. 

"Well then I accept your offer, Mr. Hopper." Will replied, returning the small bow similar to one that Thane just gave him. 

"Come here you." Thane said, reaching under Will and picking him up behind the knees. Will hung on to Thane's neck as he was carried the rest of the way to Thane's room; their room. Pushing the door open with his leg, Thane opened the door to his room, carrying Will through, almost like a groom carrying his bride over the threshold. Thane lay Will down onto the bed, climbing up on top of him. "Didn't you promise me a massage just now?"

The evil grin the graced Will's feature was supposed to make Thane slightly nervous, but all it really did was turn him on. In one swift move, Will flipped Thane over, straddling him around his waist. "This massage would be a lot better if we lost this." Will teased, sensually unbuttoning Thane shirt, letting his fingertips brush lightly across Thane's taut skin, eventually exposing Thane's torso to him. 

Moving his hands to Thane's pecs, Will kneaded the tense muscle, applying pressure using his thumbs. A moan escaped Thane's lips, his eyes closing to enjoy the feelings coursing through him, unsure if it was the massage, which actually felt really good for his muscles, or how erotic this whole situation was. He decided it make have been a little bit of both. "Oh yeah." Thane muttered, when Will's fingers found their way into the tight spot in his shoulder. "Have you done this before? Because you seem to know what you're doing."

"Being educated the natal way has its advantages." Will said, recalling the little module he took as a physiotherapist. Will moved his hands down Thane's arms, applying just the right amount of pressure to send Thane into euphoric highs. Thane melted into the bed as Will worked out the knots in his body, savoring the lingering touch of Will's strong hands. 

The touch of Will's lips against his own however, wiped his mind blank of everything other than Will. Will sucked on his lip, his tongue darting out here and there as he caressed Thane's lips with it. All this while, Will's hands never stopped their soothing strokes along Thane's arms. Thane however, couldn't care less about the massage now. 

He found himself lifting his head off the mattress, deepening the kiss, opening his mouth just enough for Will to slide his tongue in. His growing erection pressed against Will's hips, who in turn, started grinding himself onto the man underneath him. With hands finally abandoning their fruitless massage, Will raked his fingers through Thane's chest hair and along his chest, finding his nipple, hard and perky. Rolling it between his fingers caused Thane to buck his hips, further increasing the friction between their groins. 




The Lunar Life Ch. 11



With arms no longer held down, Thane wrapped his arms around Will, hands snaking their way underneath his shirt, slowly running them up his back. Goosebumps erupted across Will's skin as Thane rubbed circles on his back. Breaking the kiss, Will trailed his lips down along Thane's jawline, feeling his light stubble scratching his lips. He brought his mouth to Thane's ear, sucking onto his earlobe. "Tell me what you want." He whispered. 

Thane replied with only one word. "You."

Will took that as a cue, slowly sliding himself down the length of Thane's body, biting and kissing every part as he went down. Past his pecs, along his abs, until he reach his navel. With nimble hands, Will unbuckled Thane's pants, slowing pulling them off, revealing Thane in all his glory. 

Thane's erection strained against the white fabric of his underwear, a small wet spot forming at the head of his penis. Will licked along his member, the heat from his tongue sending Thane jerking in pleasure, the wet spot in his underwear growing a tad larger. His fingers dipped underneath the elastic waistband, pulling them down slowly, kissing his skin as it was revealed. Will breathed in Thane's scent, a smell that was so distinctly him; masculine and sweet at the same time, classically Thane. 

He darted his tongue out, licking the bead of precum off the tip of his throbbing dick, making Thane twitch with anticipation. Smirking at the obvious reaction he was having on Thane, Will took him into his mouth, pushing down until his dick touched the back of his throat. 

Thane let out a gasp as his brain tried to process everything that was happening. He had to force himself not to cum, telling himself that he wasn't ready for this to end just yet, but his body screamed for release. Will's tongue circled his head as he bobbed up and down, each time taking more of Thane into him. Every little flick of the tongue, sent Thane to new levels of pleasure; every bob of his head making Thane fall in love with Will even more.

When Will's throat constricted around his cock, Thane was about ready to explode. "Will, stop." He finally managed to call out. Will pulled off him, giving Thane the opportunity to pull back from the orgasm he almost had. "I want you in me."

Will smirked, giving Thane's hard meat one last lick before standing up and removing his pants. Will too was rock hard, his own dick straining against his jeans. Thane in the meantime, reach to his bedside drawer and pulled out a tube of lube, handing it over to Will. "Are you sure you want this?" Will asked. 

"Yes, oh god yes. Please Will." Thane begged. 

Will squirted a liberal amount of lube onto his fingers, massaging it around Thane's puckered hole. He circled the rosebud with his lubed finger, relaxing the muscles there. Slowly, he worked a finger in, coating the walls with lube. Thane moaned as he felt Will push in, loving the feeling but wanting more. Will could sense from Thane's writhing body that his lover was ready for more. Soon a second finger was added, and Thane had to focus on his breathing, trying to keep his orgasm at bay.

"Please Will, I need you now." Will nodded, removing his slick fingers, leaving Thane feeling empty with their departure. Will lubed himself up, before positioning himself by Thane's entrance. He applied gentle pressure, allowing Thane to loosen up around him, before finally his head popped in. He held still as he waited for Thane to adjust to him, but Thane had other ideas. 

With his legs wrapped around Will, Thane pulled the smaller man into him, needing to feel more of the man he loved. Slowly, Will slid into Thane, he too having to control himself from cumming as he felt Thane's warmth envelope him. With every inch that he pushed into Thane, Will took deep long breaths, trying to stave off his fast approaching orgasm. Finally, Will felt Thane's thighs against his own, knowing that he was all the way in. He paused, giving both of them time to adjust to the feeling. 

A couple of squeezes from Thane told Will that he was ready, and he began slowly pulling out, until only the head was left inside. He pushed back in, slow and sensual, reveling in every single stroke and how it sent waves of pleasure shooting through his system. 

Slowly, Will began picking up speed, pushing into Thane with more gusto. Thane's head was thrown back in ecstasy as Will brush past his prostate. Over and over again, he hit the spot, making Thane tingle from the inside. He felt the familiar rising in his groin, knowing that soon, he would no longer be able to prolong this. 

As he neared his climax, his muscled clenched, trying his hardest to stay the inevitable orgasm, in turn bringing Will all the more closer to his own release. Will didn't slow, continuing his lovemaking. With each thrust, Thane felt his resolve failing, feeling the growing tension in his groin. 

"Will, I'm gonna cum." He breathed, spurring Will on as he increased the speed of his thrusts. It was too much for Thane, the feelings building to the point of no return. He came, his dick pulsing and spewing semen onto his chest, all without so much as touching his dick. 

Thane's cries of pleasure sent Will off, his orgasm hitting him full force, slamming his dick as far into Thane as possible and released his load. Thane could feel Will's hot seed paint his insides, adding another layer of pleasure to his already intense orgasm. Losing all strength in his arms, Will collapsed onto Thane, resting his forehead on Thane's chest, who like him, was panting ferociously from their passionate lovemaking. 

After catching his breath, Will lifted his head and looked into Thane's eyes, seeing the love for him reflected in them. He gave a side smile, gracing Thane with a sweet kiss on the lips. "That has got to be the best orgasm ever." Will panted. 

"No kidding. You made me cum without even touching me." 

Will laughed as he went for another kiss. "I love you, Thane Hopper."

"I love you too, Will." 

It's funny, how two people from different worlds, came to meet each other under peculiar circumstances, and yet finding love despite all odds. Yes the journey wasn't simple, but the destination is oh so worth it, but that's life on Lunaris for you.

---END---

Hey guys, hoped you enjoyed this story. Being a sci fi nerd it was hella fun to write. Leave a comment and tell me what you think. Till next time.