Chapter 28

Ravok

Leelee sits down next to me and sets a device on her lap. Frozen on the screen is an image of a green, manicured field with human males in two sets of matching outfits scattered across its surface. I look at Leelee trying to figure out what she is showing me.

When she sees me looking, a question on my face, Leelee says, "Sokker."

That word means nothing to me, so I dip my head for her to proceed. Leelee clicks a button on the device and a video begins to play. Scrutinizing the screen further, I observe the human males dart in and out, chasing after a ball. One of the men in a green uniform reaches the ball and kicks it to another man in the same green uniform. The men in white, whom I'm assuming are adversaries, try to steal the ball. The crew in green moves the ball down the grass in a coordinated attack. They are maneuvering the ball toward a net that a man in black is guarding. Leelee points to the men in white and says, "Yu es," then points to the men in green, "Aljeer ee-ah."

It only takes a few minutes for me to discern that Leelee is showing me some kind of physical contest – we have similar things on Cryzor but with much more bloodshed. It only takes me a few more minutes to realize that Leelee wants the Yu es team to be the victors.

The concept of physical competition is no stranger to the Cryzorian species. But this ‘sokker' seems to be a mindless ball game with no apparent direct benefit or acquisition of resources. It is a show of physical prowess to some degree, but I get the impression it is for entertainment only.

Leelee's eyes sparkle with a sort of captivation as she watches the shuffling patterns on the screen unfold. A soft cheer escapes her lips as one of the human males narrowly misses getting the ball into the net structure. Astonished at her reaction, I turn to face her.

Her entire demeanor exudes an undeniable glow, her eyes never straying from the tiny competition encased within the confines of the device. I could watch her for hours, her expressions are so revealing. And though her mutterings are incomprehensible, I recognize the tones. She is wholly engrossed, her face mirroring the intense drive exhibited by the males on the screen. For a moment, I find it hard to look away… from her joy and the strange, wistful longing it instills in me.

Slowly, I find myself drawn in by Leelee's palpable enthusiasm. There's a primal nature to this ‘sokker', a raw simplicity that spans galaxies, a universal testament to the breadth of survival and contest. I suppose it is more fascinating than my first impression led me to believe.

I covertly observe Leelee as she watches her ‘sokker' and realize that I cannot allow my people to harm her. Like a flash, I am hit with the determination to keep my people away from this planet. Leelee is worth saving. There will be other planets where I can earn a promotion. As we watch Leelee's sokker, the air fills with the aroma of something meaty and savory.

Despite Leelee's poverty, I am impressed with her food. She is an excellent cook. I will dearly miss the food when I return to my ship and mission. Most of my time is spent frozen in stasis as I travel from galaxy to galaxy. However, when I am awake, exploring a region of space, my only sustenance is nutrition gel packs. They provide all the calories and nutrients I need to survive but don't bring pleasure to my palate like Leelee's food.

With fascination, I watch Leelee as the game unfolds on the screen. Her eyes spark with delight, and laughter chimes from her in the oddest moments. Each time one of the teams comes close to getting the ball into the net, Leelee gasps, jolts, and cheers. I lose myself in observing her myriad reactions rather than the game itself – the rise and fall of emotion flickering across her face is a language far more intriguing than the muddle of sokker.

Her excitement piques at certain moments; she clenches her delicate hands, her brows furrow, and her lip is captured between her teeth. As we watch the competition, she talks to me. She names the members of the Yu es team and I believe she tries to explain the rules of this game. I watch her lips as she talks rather than trying to interpret or memorize her words. I find myself entranced, mesmerized by their shape and color. When the game finally ends – only one goal scored almost at the very end of the match, Leelee throws her hands up, cheering along with the crowd on the screen. I grin at her jubilation and how her eyes light up with the thrill of victory.

Giving the screen one last look, she dashes off to check on the food, chattering happily as she works. When she returns, she picks up the device and starts showing me an almost endless variety of other ‘sportz'.

I listen as she animatedly shows me the colorful spectacle of these games, but I quickly lose track of the names – each sounding as foreign as the next. As we watch one of the sportz that involves a large orange ball, the view shifts from the arena to the humans in the stands, all packed together like a swarm of zokon insects. The view zooms in on a male and female sitting together. When the twosome realize that they are being viewed, they appear both embarrassed but are also laughing. And then, abruptly, they press their lips together.

A ripple of surprise skates across the surface of my thoughts. Mating acts were part of my training, but I was told that those kinds of intimacies are reserved for the seclusion of a mating chamber. This act feels… private, yet it's aired for all to view. My pulse races and I struggle to regulate my breath as the scene repeats with another pair. I am equal parts shocked and intrigued by this ritual. I pivot my gaze towards Leelee, her cheeks a hue that mirrors the humans on the screen.

She stumbles on two human words, ‘kizz cam,' before her attention is stolen away by the resuming sportz match. I am left adrift, but I have no way to question Leelee further about this kizz cam tradition. I turn my attention back to the sportz bout, letting it distract me from my thoughts. But tucked away in my consciousness, the question of the ‘kizz cam' remains, piquing my fascination with this intricately complex human culture. It looks… interesting.

Soon enough, Leelee puts on a different sportz for me to observe. This one immediately sticks out to me amongst the sportz. Leelee immediately notices that I seem more interested in this ‘bokzing'. It reminds me of my planet's gladiator bouts: fierce, intense, adrenaline-fueled, and technique-driven. However, these human bouts seemed softer. The fighters' hands are padded, and they have protectors over their teeth.

As we watch the bokzing, I observe Leelee out of the corner of my eye. The way she flinches away from the violence confirms that she is a creature of peace and nurturing, unacquainted with the brute force and savagery required to thrive in this universe.

We spend several hours switching between watching sportz and facing each other across the ches board. I've never had a day quite like it; indulgent, relaxing, and lovely. I'm quite certain it will be a memory I will cherish long after I leave this planet. I wish I could tell Leelee what this day has meant to me, but I cannot explain these things without speaking her language.

After finishing watching something called gahlf, which Leelee quickly realizes I find too slow and tedious, she insists on checking over my injuries. Her eyebrows rise in shock at my accelerated healing abilities. When she bites her lips and gives me an admiring look, I have to quell the urge to puff up in pride, reveling in her attention.

I mime to Leelee that I need to use her washroom again. She helps me to my feet and hovers after me as I make my way to the room. As I wash my hands after using the toilet, I look over at the washing stall and pause. My most grievous injuries are healed enough to use her washing station without worries. I open the door to find Leelee waiting for me. I point at the washing cubicle and mime using it. Leelee looks worried for a moment but then dips her head in acquiescence.

Leelee turns two knobs on the wall, starting a blast of water. I was forced to use something similar at the human facility where I was held, so I understand how it works. As the water heats up, Leelee insists on helping me out of my pants. I'm loathe to admit it is still an agony to bend over to slide the pants down my thighs, so I'm secretly glad that Leelee is so stubborn when it comes to taking care of me. I place one of my hands on her shoulder to help with my balance as I lift each foot, allowing her to tug the material off my legs. When Leelee looks up at me from her place kneeling at my feet, a swooping sensation swirls through my gut and tingles up my spine. Her eyes are so bright and shiny, and her mouth parts slightly. By Cryzor's Might, I want to—

I shake the thought out of my head and break the eye contact with Leelee, shocked at the direction of my thoughts. I send my nanites rushing to my groin to stop the thickening of my cock. I grit my teeth until my jaw aches, purposefully keeping my eyes off Leelee's lips. Completely unaware of the direction of my thoughts, she rises to stand and sets my pants on the counter. With her back turned, I take several breaths, willing my thoughts toward mundane tasks.

When Leelee turns back to me, I take note of the flush of pink creeping into her cheeks and how her plush lips are pinched together. For a moment, I think that she knows my thoughts. But it only takes her giving me a small tip-lipped smile for me to dismiss that idea. She'd be running from the room if she knew the visions filling my mind, not smiling at me.

I regard Leelee carefully. Her face is flushed, and she is determinedly averting her gaze from mine. I tilt my head quizzically. I think she might be embarrassed. As I step into the washing stall while Leelee hovers near, I think about the fact that I've never seen any nudity among the humans. Perhaps my casual attitude with my nakedness is causing her distress?

I peel off my bandages and inspect the wounds. They are healed enough to be safe to get wet. Leelee winces at my action but doesn't try to argue. I think she realizes I am hard to sway when my mind is made up.

I step into the cubicle, sliding the rubber curtain closed. I can see Leelee through the partially transparent material. She lowers the lid on the toilet and sits, waiting nearby in case I need help. Leelee is such a sweet, caring creature. It's hard to imagine that she is the same species as those pieces of excrement that tortured me in the military facility.

When I step under the hot spray, I groan in pleasure as the water hits me.

A low chuckle comes from Leelee. "Ez gud, ya?"

"Ez gud, Leelee," I rumble back, groaning as I dip my head under the spray, letting it run over my body. When her responding laugh reaches me, I grin widely. The water is almost too hot. It's perfect.

I soak up the heat for a few minutes before inspecting the couple of bottles on a ledge. I open each one, testing the contents on my fingers. Each one scents strongly of flowers but I'm just glad to get fully clean. I scrub myself vigorously. Once I finish washing, I turn off the water since, historically, water is precious to the poverty-stricken, and I don't want to use more than Leelee can afford to give me.

When I turn off the taps and open the hanging plastic barrier, Leelee is waiting for me with a fluffy drying cloth. I try to take it from Leelee's fingers, but she grips it tightly. I huff but hold out my arms so that she can dry me. I feel like a Cryzorian Legion Commander being waited on by a devoted attendee. It's a heady experience.

As Leelee finishes drying my torso and the cloth begins to head below my navel, I snatch the cloth from her hands with a growl. If she tries to handle my cock, there aren't enough nanites in the universe, much less my body, to keep me from getting an erection. Leelee raises her hands, and I can't tell if the look on her face is fear, embarrassment, or mild disappointment.

Leelee helps me back into my pants and we head back to the main seating area of her house.

Once she gets me back onto the seat, she offers a blanket that I gratefully accept.

Leelee looks around as if a little lost. When she asks, "Mor sportz?" I dip my chin. I believe I will be healed enough to trek out to my ship tomorrow if my healing continues at its current rate. I wish I could figure out how to explain this to Leelee, but I decide to deal with that issue when it arises. Navigating that conversation is a problem for tomorrow; tonight, I will enjoy sportz with Leelee.

Leelee grabs her viewing device and pulls up another video for us. I settle back in the chair as she nestles close to my side. It is an almost intimate feeling. On the screen, I see another grassy field centered inside a stadium.

"Wemenz sokker," Leelee explains, pointing at the lean figures on the screen. They dart around the field, their coordinated attack is mesmerizing to watch. When the camera zooms in on one of the players, I see it is a lean, athletic figure in white. Beads of sweat dribble down the competitor's face, their hair is tied up in a long tail. I realize with a jolt that the player is female. As the focus is panned to another player, I realize they all are. I lean forward to the screen, drawn in by the spectacle. "Leelee, they are all female."

My eyebrows raise in shock. Leelee's gaze flits to me, her wide eyes blinking in confusion. She crinkles her nose, trying to understand my reaction. It's surprisingly endearing. "Females?" I question, pointing at one of the players. "Leelee is a female," I point at her. "Ravok is male," I turn my finger to my chest, then I point again at the screen, "Females."

"Yez, wemen pley sokker," she responds, soft laughter slipping from her lips, rolling her eyes at me. She pats my cheek like she finds my surprise amusing. "Lewk at yu so skanduh-liezd."

I watch the sokker competition for a few minutes longer, before my gaze drops to my hands, callused and scarred, then travels over to Leelee. I feel a thrill at the challenge mirrored back at me from her warm eyes. "Leelee, have you competed in sokker?" I ask.

Cryzorian females, especially ones of breeding age, are sequestered when they come of age on my planet. They are rarely seen in public and never without assigned protectors and guardians. So, to see a group of females battling in what is clearly a physically taxing, and possibly dangerous, activity is so shocking that I'm not sure how I feel about it.

Leelee gives me another mischievous grin and nods. "Leelee luvz sokker."

That seems like a pretty solid yes from her. I don't know what else to say so I sit back to watch the sokker competition. I have much to think about.

I've never had a day of leisure and pleasure. Every day of my existence has been filled with long, lonely flights in the cold dark of outer space with the occasional battle, if I'm lucky. Ensuring our species' complete domination of the universe, and my place within it, felt predestined. But now I am beginning to feel unsure, my thoughts feel like they're swimming against a torrent without end. And tomorrow, once I locate my ship, it is very likely that I will be leaving this planet, and Leelee, behind. With that thought putting a heavy weight in my gut, I decide to push it away and enjoy this small break.

Leelee gets us each a large bowl of the ‘beef stu'.

The first mouthful stuns me into silence. It's delightful, the texture unfamiliar, yet the warmth spreading in my belly feels undeniably comforting. I indulge in another helping, guilt gnawing at my insides as she offers up more of her rations with a wide, beaming smile. But the simple pleasure etched on her face reassures me, making me want to grasp onto this alien experience a bit longer.

As night falls, Leelee tugs on the edge of the blanket until I share it with her. Images flicker on the screen of two human males engaged in fierce combat. Leelee is observant because she's already figured out that I enjoy the bokzing the most out of all the sportz she's shown me so far.

As the fight continues, I feel a gentle pressure against my side. I force myself not to stiffen as she leans against me, resting her head on my shoulder with an ease that leaves me dumbfounded. I've been in close contact with her before, of course, but this is different. All the other times, Leelee had been trying to help me, but this is just closeness for no purpose. Her eyes are starting to droop, and I don't think she realizes that she's resting against me so intimately. Propriety would have me making space between us, but instead, I savor the sensation of her soft breaths on my skin. Since I am most likely leaving tomorrow, I tell myself there is no harm in enjoying this moment.

Her trust strikes a chord within me, a sensation far more powerful than I have words to explain. For the first time, I allow myself to relax, to embrace the warmth of her body against my side. Leaning back against the couch, I find myself treasuring this simple, peaceful moment with my sweet Leelee.