A Butterscotch Sky Ch. 05

"You think she was hoping to get back together with you?"

"As far as she thought, we already were back together because we reconciled the day we were recalled to Central. So yeah. I'm certain of it."

"And if not for you and Aly⁠—"

"I think, instead of me being on the comm with you, Dione and I would be enjoying dinner over there right now," I said and pointed to the dining area behind me.

"Dinner. Of course."

I shrugged. The subtext of his statement wasn't lost on me. I did imagine my bedroom a more likely venue for the reunion than the dining area.

"Are you going to tell Alyonka?"

"I can't figure this out, Simi! What would you do in my shoes?"

"You must tell her."

"I know," I groaned.

"You must do it soon, Sean."

"I know!" I said frustratedly.

"Before you do, you must choose who you are going to follow."

"This isn't helping!"

"Sean, calm down, brother. Think rationally for one minute if you can."

"I'm trying, damn it!"

"Are you feeling this way for Dione because it now appears you can reclaim the years-long investment you made in the relationship? Is it because you are feeling relieved you weren't betrayed? Or do you truly believe you are in love with her?"

I sighed. "I don't know."

"Think of this. She has been hiding secrets from you for a very long time."

"As a requirement of her job."

"She hid them well, so she is very good at it."

"You're right," I scoffed, "but like I said, she had to."

"I know you, Sean. I know you and Alyonka quickly found your common ground when you began to see her as more than a colleague. It only took you two weeks to see you were good for each other."

"That's true," I agreed.

"You and I cannot be more different that way. It is not so important for me. Shizuka … well, she was not so open, but it did not matter to me. I found her mystery very appealing. I also think your brain is confused because you want to go back to who you know better instead of diving into deeper mysteries with Alyonka."

I sat back on the sofa and considered what Simi was telling me for a few minutes.

"Sean? Is the conversation over?"

"Yeah. I need to make another call."

"To who⁠—"

I tapped the red X then another icon. I know it's only 0400, but are you awake?

You must be linked to my mind. How did you know I would be awake so early?

I decided we needed to see each other's faces instead of body-language-omitting texts, so I video-called her.

"I am excited to be there this weekend! The flight leaves in only forty hours!" she said with a wide grin the moment she answered.

"Yeah. About that," I began. "Alyonka, we need to talk."

March 18, 2066 08:00

Ordinarily, I wouldn't sleep so late, but I was exhausted. I'd been up all night having a discussion with Alyonka, and quite a discussion it was.

I was absolutely astonished that she sat quietly and listened to my explanation of what happened without getting angry or passing immediate judgment because I expected an argument at every turn.

She waited patiently until I was done. And yes, I did admit that I didn't push Dione away when she kissed me. Her only response to that little tidbit was, "Sean, if you wish to maintain my trust in you, you must promise you will never do such a thing again."

I reaffirmed my devotion to Aly and asked her to be patient with me as I dealt with any fallout from the conflict. I wanted to convey my hope that, when the time was appropriate, I wanted to mend the relationship with Dione in a manner which would allow us to remain friends. Aly wasn't too sure about it, but didn't squash the thought. She only requested I keep her in the loop.

We passed the next two hours talking about our honeymoon. We hadn't planned it yet. Given we had flight privileges to and from almost anywhere in the world, our options were endless, and we were suffering from "analysis paralysis," so we had some fun employing a particular AI algorithm to help us decide. It narrowed suggestions to three: Auckland, Dubai, or the Azores. My future wife and I agreed to settle it the day after our wedding, thus throwing caution to the wind.

March 30, 2066 10:00am Local Time

I smelled the scents of gourmet coffee and breakfast being prepared. I heard Aly groan as she stretched in the bed next to me and the subtle pops as her stretch flexed all the joints of her lithe and incredibly fit frame.

I propped my head in my hand and watched her awaken.

"Good morning, my husband," she whispered with the most beautiful, relaxed smile imaginable.

"Good morning, Commander."

Her laughter made my heart sing.

"My word, Sean. I never imagined anything such as this. I am so in love with you I can feel it in every bone of my body."

"I can feel it in mine, too," I grinned, taking her hand and guiding it to a flaccid one.

"It does not appear you feel it," she said, gently and tenderly massaging my dick.

"Oh, yes, I do," I said with a grin as I quickly began to tumesce. I kissed her softly.

"Please open the door. I love the scent of the sea air when we make love. I promise I will be quiet."

I knew she'd break her word, and I, quite frankly, didn't care. Other than the chef who was preparing our breakfast, there weren't any other ears within hundreds of meters, and I was sure the chef wasn't unfamiliar with the sounds newlyweds often make.

A mild storm was blowing, and I paced the rhythm of my tongue on my wife's clit in time with the crashing of the waves against the rocks. The interval seemed to match Aly's own rhythm. I spiced the variety a little. Whenever a gull mewed, I suckled her inner lips softly and slowly pressed my tongue into her pussy. Whenever one cawed, I brushed the tip of my thumb over her little butthole.

"You have killed me!" she gasped after her third orgasm.

"Then I shall kill you over and over and over."

She grinned wickedly.

"Put your hands here," she instructed, taking them and placing them behind my knees.

She drew them up to my chest, my erection thumping with my pulse against my belly. She moved it downward and impaled herself with her back to me, almost sitting on my thighs.

"I don't know if this will work for meEE!" I gasped as she penetrated my butt with a lubricated finger.

My groans were louder than I thought I would ever make. I was in exquisite agony when my climax hit. My hypersensitive glans felt the nub of my wife's cervix nudging it as I coated it thoroughly. It took me minutes to form coherent thoughts, and a few more moments before I could speak them.

"Aly," I whispered after she settled next to me, "don't ever do that again."

I heard her gasp. "Sean, I am very sorry! I⁠—"

"No!" I chuckled. "If you do, you'll set the bar so high I don't think you could ever top it."

"Do not be so sure, my lover. I have a very creative mind and a smörgåsbord of fantasies."

I laughed so hard I briefly got the hiccups.

"I love you, Aly," I whispered.

"I love you, too," she whispered back.

March 27, 2068 13:17

"Open the damned door!"

I was in the kitchen when I heard the shouts along with the banging on the door of our condominium, even before the comm had the chance to alert. When it finally did, I swung it open to confront the intruder who happened to be on the "allowed" list I'd provided reception a long time before.

"Siemen!" I shouted, shaking his hand firmly before grasping him into a bear-hug.

"Happy anniversary, my friends!"

"Holy shit , brother! I wasn't expecting you! Please, come in!"

"Hello, Alyonka. You are looking very beautiful, as always. Marriage to this man is treating you well?"

She smiled brightly, and they kissed cheeks. "It is treating us very well. It has been far too long, Siemen." Aly said.

"To what do we owe the pleasure?" I asked.

"Sean," Simi said, "I do not believe I owe you an explanation or require your permission, but I choose both."

"Of course you don't. You're always welcome here."

"Not about the visit, Sean. It is something else."

I sensed his hesitation. He seemed nervous and a bit out of sorts.

"What is it, Simi? You seem rattled."

"I need to speak with you about Dione Wilcox."

"I spoke to her several weeks ago," I said, his nervousness beginning to infect me. "What's wrong?"

He hesitated before continuing, "Dione and I … we are seeing each other. Romantically."

"Huh? You and Dione ?"

He stammered and stuttered for a few moments as he anxiously shuffled and scuffled his feet.

"I was not thinking , my brother. I did not intend this. A number of months ago, I contacted her to congratulate her on the publication of her latest mystery novel. We chose to stay in touch. We had a number of conversati⁠—I did not realize what was beginning to happen, Sean! But … she is⁠—Please do not be angry. I told you long ago that I would nev⁠—but she and I⁠—"

"Slow down, Simi, slow down ."

He drew a deep breath and exhaled in the controlled manner we were trained to employ to counteract hyperventilation.

"Dione and I are very compatible. Our friendship developed quickly, and just as quickly moved beyond it."

"That's better." I chuckled. "Your flawless midwestern English was beginning to slip."

"Sean, you are my friend. This all seems so unreal to me because of everything you and Dio⁠—"

He stopped and closed his eyes before he resumed. "All I ask is if you approve and allow it, because I am ashamed of what I said to you when I saw her video when we were on Mars."

I considered what he told me for several moments.

"Simi, it is true you don't owe me an explanation, but I am glad you offered one. You don't need to ask my permission. Dione and I are still frien⁠—just friends, so if you and Dione are happy together, it cannot be a bad thing, and I am happy for you. Both of you."

During the summer, the crew of Orion reunited. Cedric Hamilton and his bride of five months hosted me, Aly, Simi, and Dione at their cabin on the beautiful Lake Nipissing near North Bay, Ontario.

To say the reunion felt awkward in some ways would be understating reality.

Simi, Cedric, and I went fishing for yellow pike the second morning after Aly and I arrived, and were sucking at it terribly. Two hours into the excursion, we hadn't brought a single fish into the boat, thus casting doubt on plans for lunch.

"Sean, are you and Alyonka doing alright?" Cedric asked.

"Yeah, why do you ask?"

"I don't know. I am only sensing some odd vibe from you. You are on vacation but you're more of a wet blanket."

"It's not him and Alyonka, Cedric. It's him and Dione," Simi said.

"Wait. What'd you say?"

"Sean, you and Dione need to have a talk. Do something . Cedric is correct. You both are casting a shadow."

"I am sorry, my friends. I didn't realize," I said. "It's weird. I didn't think it'd get complicated, but it has."

"Well, of course ," Simi scoffed. "You and Dione were a couple for a long while. Now, you are married to a former crewmate, and your former lady is now promise-bonded with another who is also your friend. It is not weird at all."

"Whoa !" I argued. "No, it's not that at all. I'm happy for you both. I truly am, and I'm even happier she's with someone I know will treat her well."

"Then … it's the job?"

I sighed. "Yeah."

"Hang on, I'm lost. What are you two talking about?" Cedric asked. "What job?"

I laughed. Simi had figured it out because he had the advantage of Dione on his side.

"Well, Dione and I are probably going to be working together sometimes."

"Oh? You're going to work at Partner Nations or something? What are you going to be doing?"

I laughed again. "No, Cedric. Jim Gantry announced his retirement."

"Whoa! You're taking that asshole's job?"

"Well, I'm thinking about it. Someone fairly high up thought I'd be a good fit, and Jim added his recommendation."

Cedric was then the one laughing. "Someone fairly high up, huh? That's the President or Vice President of the United States you're talking about!"

"Yeah." I chuckled. "I know what was done to us and our families was necessary. And I know that, due to her promotion, Dione and I will be frequently working together, and I don't like the proposition of having to do anything even remotely like what her boss and Gantry did to us. I don't know if I could live with myself, and I'm sensing Dione is feeling the same worries. It would be even worse if we have to engage in a future deceit together."

Simi stared at me blankly for several moments, and a bite distracted him. He quickly pivoted in his seat to work his catch.

"Get it in the boat!" Cedric yelped, briskly reeling in his own lure so he could stand by with the net.

Simi fought for about thirty seconds to get the fish close to the hull. Cedric bent over the edge and lifted the prey from the water. He hooked it with a scale, and quickly weighed and measured its length to ensure it met the criteria Canada's Ministry of Natural Resources set. It was a keeper, so into the livewell it went. Cedric cheered and clapped Simi on his shoulder.

Cedric had finally found a hotspot. Within ten minutes, he caught one and Simi caught another. Since the limit imposed by our class of licenses permitted only one keeper each, and there were only three of us on the boat, we'd maxed out. I've been a rank amateur angler long enough to know how it just works out that way sometimes.

"What were we talking about?" Simi said when he plopped himself back in his seat, excited and proud of his accomplishment.

"Dione. Work. The idea of how we might become professional liars."

"Then do not."

"What do you mean, do not ?"

"Simple. Don't! What is the likelihood of something such as what we underwent occurring again?"

"I don't know. Pretty small, I imagine."

"Then don't let it weigh you down. And if it does happen, then you both can deal with it then. Now, you're letting a worry jeopardize a professional relationship you were destined to do. You are also dampening a damned nice week on the lake, and you should not let it ruin the delicious lunch Aly promised to prepare after Cedric fillets my fish."

"Yeah. You're right."

"You two done with your girly-gabbing?" Cedric chuckled.

"Yes," Simi responded after flashing him a bird. "Hopefully that settles it, because I don't think the stress is healthy for Dione or our child."

"What ?!" Cedric and I shouted simultaneously.

Simi's only response was a broad, beaming smile.

"Whoa, brother! Dione is pregnant ?" I yelped.

He simply nodded with the smile remaining on his face.

"Is it yours?" Cedric chided playfully.

Simi shot him another middle finger.

"That's fantastic news, Simi!" I cheered.

"I wasn't supposed to tell either of you yet, so keep it a secret. Dione has planned a reveal of sorts for this afternoon."

"Shit, Simi! I'm so happy for you⁠—for both of you !" Cedric said with a broad smile.

Cedric pushed the boat's throttle forward. Its twin engines propelled it up on plane and cruised at close to 90 km/h.

When we docked at their cabin's boathouse, the ladies came out to meet us as Cedric began the task of cleaning the fish he and Simi had reeled in.

"Nice job, babe!" Dione praised him with a kiss and a smack of his ass. "Just in time, too, because I'm hungry ."

I saw his subtle wink. After all, his news meant she was eating for more than herself.

An hour later, we sat at the outdoor table with plates of pan-seared lemon herbed pike, wilted spinach, and rice pilaf. As we polished off the dessert of Belgian chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream, Dione revealed the news. Aly and Irenka were visibly surprised.

"Simi already told you, didn't he!" Dione yelped. I guess our acting wasn't so convincing. "You're going to pay for that, Simi," she barked and playfully swatted his arm.

"Tell them the name we have chosen," Simi suggested.

"We have decided her given name will be Hanna," Dione answered. "In Swedish, the word means grace and joy. Her middle name will be Shiani … Shizuka and Ayani."

"Hanna Shiani. It is beautiful," Aly said softly.

Irenka dabbed the corners of her eyes with her napkin. "I know it is perfect before I even see her. When is your daughter expected?"

"December. Christmas Day," Dione answered with a smile.

"Have you informed Ayani-san's parents?" I asked. "I am certain they will be touched how you're honoring the memory of their daughter with your future daughter's name."

"No. Other than our own families, you are the first we have informed," Simi answered. "But, come to think of it, you are family, too."

I rose from my chair and embraced Siemen. A lot of laughter and joy were passed between us all.

"Dione," I said when it was my turn to hug her, "I am so happy for you. Do you forgive me for being such an asshole this week?"

"Why should this time be any different than all the others?" she humorously answered in a soft tone, understanding it was a moment to be shared only between the two of us.

"Yes, Sean. I do, and I hope you can forgive me as well. I haven't been making it easy for you, either."

"Maybe," I agreed. "I'm actually looking forward to working with you."

"Oh! That's high praise!" She chuckled. "So … you're going to take the job?"

"Yeah. I think I am."

"Good. Because I'm looking forward to working with you, too."

Everyone circled around the table. A glass was raised, and the others raised their own.

"To Irenka and Cedric, our gracious hosts. To our departed sister, Shizuka Ayani, and to our future, Hanna Shiani, her parents, and to everything we do to better the world.

Everyone boisterously toasted a hearty equivalent to "cheers!" in their own languages. It was a fantastic re-beginning to a fantastic week, and a hope for a fantastic future.

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