Chương 22: Chapter 22
[Today I'm making a double update so please make sure you didn't miss the 21st chapter!]
Chris was nervous. Gosh, he has forgotten when he ever got so nervous and so often! Maybe, in middle school, while he still wasn't sure if his grandparents would give a shit about his school accomplishments and failures. At that time, he could still get panicky if he was late without warning or failed an intermediate test. Oh yes, he also felt similar jitters on the island. Yet then there was a special case, a surge of hormones, everything was wild, incomprehensible, and much sharper and the experiences there were completely different.
Now he felt about the same as being a teenager, though not guilt-ridden, but going on a date for the first time.
Tau wanted to spend the whole New Year's weekend with him – whole, that is, from Friday to Sunday. If, of course, Chris agrees to that. Still trying to give Chris a chance to leave the relationship, what a creature!
And so, Chris was standing, waiting in the parking lot near their residential building, when the zirka would come up. They agreed to meet at nine in the morning and go in Chris's car. The young man did not fully understand why Tau decided not to take his vehicle. Suspicion crept in that there was some kind of trick that Chris had not yet figured out. He opened the trunk again to check that he had taken everything he needed. He didn't really enjoy spending nights out at someone else's place. Sure, this was an exceptional case but it didn't change the fact that he had to bring something from his place to feel comfortable. Like his toothbrush, gadgets, and home clothes.
Gee, how stupid is that? If it gets to the point where I'll need to undress, it's obvious that I won't have a chance to dress for the rest of the weekend!
He sighed and closed the luggage compartment. In truth, he needed some of his stuff to just know he has them and can use them. If anything.
His band vibrated; the entrance doors slid open revealing the Grinch in his trainers and running suit with a holdall in one hand.
Chris straightened up; tension seized him with new strength. God knows why he felt like nearly jumping this man when he wore casual stuff. He concentrated on his breathing. Of course, he's not going to dress up as if he was going to the opera when he heads home!
"Morning," Tau beamed when he saw Chris.
"Morning!" Chris called out, masking his edginess with vigor.
"So, we're going on this?" Tau asked, looking expressively at Chris's car. It was a compact vehicle for two. Really compact. Two times tinier than the one, they drove in Australia. He knew that Chris had put it together by himself and was very curious to experience the ride. In addition, he would definitely ask Chris later to let him connect to see the backend of his doings and look under the hood. Unless, of course, he finds where the hood is.
"Yeah," Chris said, arching an eyebrow, "any problem with that?"
Tau coughed, "Not at all. It's so… ergonomic. Are you sure it can make it?"
"Well, since you mentioned it. No." Chris said with a mournful face. "Actually, we'll have to push it down the hill."
The corners of Tau's mouth stretched upwards with pure amusement. Chris was pleased with the impact his commentary made. The sincere smile transformed the zirka's features into something unknown to him and very alluring. Chris hopped to Tau, grabbed his bag, and stuffed it into place. Then returned to the driver's side, slid onto his seat, tapped the panel to open the door for Tau, and engaged the gear. The car vibrated just a bit and lifted from the ground, pausing.
"Liv, start destination input," Chris said.
"Input – Stand by – Please proceed," murmured the car with a melodic female bot voice.
Chris tilted his head looking at Tau expectantly.
"Destination: '15, Dolphin Lane, Byron's Bay'." The zirka said calmly looking straight into Chris's eyes while sneaking his hand to Chris and threading their fingers together.
"Input confirmed. Location match found."
"Conf–" Chris started hoarsely; feeling his insides relax and start melting under the intense gaze, cleared his throat and gave his command, "Confirm. Take me there, Liv."
The Dolphin Lane turned out to be a narrow and inconspicuous street that began to snake as soon as Liv left the main road, leading up from the bustling center into densely landscaped hills. Chris was almost sure that they were lost when, after a kilometer of twists and turns, they met a cottage of a rather impressive size. The young man opened his mouth to clarify with his passenger whether this was his house or not, but the car swept further down the alley.
When it seemed to Chris that there was nowhere to go further, another residential area emerged from the jungle, surrounded by hedges so tightly that if it weren't for a sign announcing the boundary of private property, then this place would be very difficult to find without knowing the exact address.
"Some wilderness you hid into," Chris marveled, looking around the thickets at the entrance while Tau tapped the gates to open.
Liv hovered gently through the gates and carried them along the driveway bordered by neatly trimmed lawns on both sides, on which flowerbeds, rose bushes, cypresses grew in a chaotic manner; narrow paths meandered between them, getting lost in the depths of the garden that complemented the Erzketau lodge.
"Wow, how many square feet did you say here?" Chris stared at the house if you could call it that, in amazement.
It was a two-story Art Nouveau building with predominantly square and rectangular shapes and straight lines. The color scheme was made up of white panels and wood decorations. Chris glanced sideways at Tau. He believed that the zirks tend to choose something less ... humanish for accommodation. Although did he really understand the friendly race so well, apart from what they gave in textbooks.
"I don't recall I did but since you're asking, it's somewhat less than fifty hundred," the zirka carefully untangled the intertwined fingers of their hands, got out of the car, and stretched.
Chris opened the trunk and got out too. "Liv, rest". The car chimed and turned off going still and silent.
Tau did not detain the guest on the threshold and immediately led him into the house, again taking him by his hand. The interior was dominated by light tones of a warm shade. The living room was mostly sandy; it was the color of the walls, ceiling, and floor, with an apricot sitting area, complete with a log coffee table. Panoramic windows, high ceilings, and soft colors made the already spacious room incredibly huge, but at the same time, the person who entered did not get lost in it. Designer shelves stretched along the walls, filled with souvenirs, figurines, and printed editions of some magazines. Chris wanted to take a closer look but didn't want to split from Tau just yet. He was rather surprised when the zirka took his hand while still in the car. And the look he gave Chris while reaching out as if he was afraid that Chris would pull his hand away and scream as if asking for permission to make such contact.
The kitchen, which was visible from where they stood, was finished in sand marble-colored material, which, in combination with the floor and walls, evoked a resemblance to desert rocks.
"Welcome," Tau said softly, giving Chris some time to look around. "Would you prefer a room tour or have lunch first?
"Yes! I vote for the first!" Chris turned to him with a wide smile on his face. "This place is amazing. When Rangira said about the lair, I involuntarily drew dungeons and whatnot in my imagination ... haha," he laughed nervously, "never mind! Just show me the place! Honestly, that's the lizard's home, if you ask me, desert theme."
Tau grinned mysteriously and led him through the living room, which led into the dining room on one side, and on the right was a staircase to the second floor. The living room, the kitchen, and a dining room made up a common studio ensemble, from which left and right wings were starting. The back wall was entirely made of glass, which gave a view of the garden, and the pool was visible a little to the side.
"There are two guest bedrooms," Tau pointed with his free hand towards the corridor to the right behind the stairs, "if you want to, go look and pick where you would like to leave your stuff. And there," - on the opposite side, "I have something like my ... workshop."
Chris set the bag down on the chair by the dining table closest to him. "I'll pick later. Show me the workshop."
It was a room of impressive size, the interior did not stand out from the general bright theme of the entire first floor, it even turned out to be much lighter due to lots of added lights, under which, barely sprouted green plants were placed in orderly rows on a long table.
The other table was occupied by several computers, two of them working, apparently continuously, taking some statistics, and immediately displaying them on a dynamic chart.
"What–," Chris stood, leaning low over the shoots in pallets, about to clarify with Erzketau what exactly he grows here, and turned to look at him, facing the door but stumbled staring at the huge machine that stood against the opposite wall, "Whoa! What's that thing?"
Assembled from many metal parts, pipes, and tanks; it rose almost two meters up and almost as much in breadth. In addition, this mechanical monster was like from another world; completely out of touch with the interior, equipment, and, to be honest, with the owner of the house himself.
Tau turned to follow his gaze, lips curling into a slight smirk, "That's a roaster."
"So that's where the delinquent students go?" Chris giggled.
"Not funny." Replied Tau, smiling from ear to ear.
"Yes, I see that. So what–," Chris started again, but now Tau interrupted him.
"C'mon, I'll show you."
They left the room, crossed the house, and went outside through the back glass door into the yard. However, at a second glance, Chris understood that it was actually an orchard. The space behind Tau's house was planted with slender rows of trees, which at first seemed to the young man to be different representatives of the fruit and berry family, but in fact, turned out to be the same species with bright green leaves and large red bunches. Chris stared at the garden in genuine astonishment. He had never seen them live before, but he certainly recognized the plants.
"Holy snakes! You've got your own coffee plantation at home!?" Chris unhooked their hands to run among the trees and get a better look as if he could not fully believe that he was right and this was really a mini-plantation of coffee trees. "How many varieties are there? And who collects the berries?"
The greenie sniggered.
Chris burned the zirka with a long look. "It was coffee from your garden back then? I liked it."
"Then I just can't not offer you a mug. Let's go." Tau took Chris by the hand again and led him back into the house.
They returned to the kitchen and the zirka began to fuss around, and Chris watched his actions closely peeking right from behind Tau's back.
"So is this some kind of a hobby of yours or a science project?" Chris asked as he watched Tau pull a jar of grains from a wall cabinet.
"Just a hobby. Let's just say that the passion for the drink grew first into the search for the perfect recipe, and then into the creation of my own."
"Do you have Arabica in your yard? Do you blend it in a special way?"
"No, there is no Arabica or Robusta for that matter. What I grow has long ceased to be any of the previously known varieties of coffee. There are decades and painstaking work on the selection."
Tau poured the beans into the coffee grinder and started it; the kitchen air instantly started smelling like the coffee shop. In the meantime, Chris took the jar, turned the label towards him wanting to read more about the beans of this variety, and raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"It says '523'. You conducted 523 experiments to get those grains!?" He asked flabbergasted, leaning his backside onto the counter where Tau operated with appliances.
"Oh, of course not, it's just too much! It takes about a year to make a modification and another year to grow a mature plant, not to mention that sometimes nothing grows from a seed, and–"
"This is my number…," Chris drawled thoughtfully, interrupting the flow of explanations of the transplantologist-coffee lover, and looking up at him, "my M-estrogen subject number, isn't it?"
"I know that," Tau confirmed after a few seconds, switching the coffee machine and dealing with the ground coffee.
"This is…" Chris began but fell silent, slowly turning the jar in his hands. Goosebumps ran down his arms and his back. Why am I so embarrassed suddenly? "Is there," he swallowed and made another attempt to speak, "any connection between the number on this jar and my file?"
"Maybe," Tau said evasively.
"Maybe? Like you're not sure why you called it like that?" Chris marked the word 'called' in finger quotes, looking bemused. "Or is it too funny to tell?"
"No. I'm pretty aware of why I called it that way." Said Tau bringing even more confusion to this conversation and Chris laughed. "It's the best of my entire coffee specimen."
"Oh?" The young man acknowledged respectfully and made a small sip at the cup Tau just offered him. The rich brown drink was laid with the golden foam almost reaching the brim and white steam swirled invitingly tickling the smell receptors.
"The tastiest." Tau clarified.
Chris almost choked with the effort not to spit the liquid out in astonishment. "Oh… damn." He gave smiling Tau a side look feeling his cheeks getting warmer. "That's too awkward, you know that?"
Tau kept smiling, taking a sip from his cup. Chris followed with his drink. "Yes," he nodded, "that's the one."
They both fell silent enjoying a good coffee and each other's company.
"Aren't you feeling awkward at all knowing that I know?" Chris said, still slightly blushing.
"Not in the least." The Grinch said putting the empty cup in the sink, turning around to face the same direction, and sliding closer to Chris until their shoulders touched.
Chris reflected on this while finishing his coffee. First in the car, then when they got out and went about the house, Tau held his hand all the time. And now he stood pretty close too, maybe wanting to grab his hand again though it was occupied with a cup. Could Chris imagine this all?
He wasn't clingy at all; on the contrary, he guarded his private space too well. Before, he had Sandro who always hung on his hands and shoulders, and waist, pulling constantly, demanding attention. But this was different. If he was right, Tau seemed all about being as close as it would look inconspicuous. Like probing if it's okay to seek this closeness without openly asking for it.
However, if he really hoped that Chris wouldn't notice he was wrong. The other thing is that Chris had no objections at all to being touched by the zirka. Each time he felt Tau's hand it was welcomed, the tiniest bit cooler, somewhat refreshing for Chris's skin. It felt nice and he regretted that he couldn't feel Tau's temperature right now or at least it didn't feel like the touch of his bare skin.
"Thanks," he said, handing Tau the cup, "it's truly good, you did a great job with the selection and stuff. And while I'm embarrassed about the whole title thing, I am also flattered that… this… you know." He waved his hand vaguely in the air.
Tau nodded, accepting both the compliment and the attitude.
"So do you, like, promote a brand or anything? Do you sell the beans?" Chris asked him.
"No, I don't sell it," Tau said taking Chris's hand a hostage yet again and leading him to the living room to sit on the sofa, and Chris had to mobilize his composure to the greatest extent not to betray his thoughts – he really craved it, oh boy. Carefully but deliberately grabbing a piece of Chris! He smiled in response to the move as nonchalantly as he could. He had to study this behavior closely, not raising suspicions.
"Am I the only one outside this house who has ever tasted it?"
"Oh, um, no, actually that's not the case. I also share it with my family."
"Your family!?" Chris exclaimed, turning all his body to look square at Tau who looked at Chris curiously. "I mean, okay, I didn't expect that you have a family here. On Earth. You've never–" He added feeling embarrassment took over him once again today. Sure Tau didn't just grow from the grass and he ought to have some family. But yes, he was surprised to know that they live on his home planet and that it was the first time the transplantologist speaks of them, like ever.
"Yeah, well, some part of my extended family lives on Earth." Tau nodded in confirmation. "And I have never had the chance to tell you about it because it would be awkward seeing it through the prism of exclusively professional relationships, don't you think so?"
"I guess you're right." Chris relaxed on the sofa but tensed again when Tau leaned closer to him and put his hand on the young man's nape.
Lightly stroking Chris's hair, he asked, "Would you like to meet them?"
"Meet? Your family?" Chris croaked. "How can you be so shamelessly casual about this?"
Tau snickered, "Sorry, not sorry."
"I can see that!" Chris sniffed in disbelief. "I don't know. Do they… I mean… isn't it weird? Will they be okay with you seeing a human?"
"They know perfectly well about you and I wouldn't give the slightest care if they would consider it weird," murmured Tau sitting a tiny bit closer, "however, I know they're fine with that; it was never weird to us, the zirks, to pair with humans."
"Oh, so they know? You talk a lot about me when you're not with me, huh?" Chris squinted at him. "Say, are the zirks jealous that they don't have hair?" He whispered, feeling tingling shivers run down his spine from Tau's manipulations at the back of his neck.
Tau pulled Chris to his chest, burying his face in the hair behind Chris's ear, and breathed, "Like crazy."
SUY NGHĨ CỦA NGƯỜI SÁNG TẠO 
BakeNeko_Madara
BakeNeko_Madara Hi there!
For those who don't know, I'm a Ukrainian living in Ukraine.
Also, for those who don't know what happens in my country, I've got bad news - russia has started a war here, an unprovoked act of vile terror.
I wish that no human would ever experience what happens in my homeland right now.
Pray for Ukraine, stand with Ukraine!
Whatever you do, please, don't believe the misinfo about the "aggressive nationalists" and "oppressed russian-speakers" in Ukraine, and other russian media bullshit with which they justify their brutal invasion. That's the least you can do to support Ukraine under attack. That scumbag of a russian dictator and his army are rats and fascists, and their "salvation operation" is full of shit. Thank you.
If you'd like to support UA in other ways - here is where you can find out how:
https://war.ukraine.ua/support-ukraine/
In case there won't be an update in a month or so, it will mean that I couldn't write it.. because.. I just can't write right now. Hopefully, I'll get around it eventually because if not, life sucks.
Let's call it a break. Until Ukraine wins <3
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