23. Ziggy

CHAPTER 23

ZIGGY

Go Go Gadget: I forgot to ask… is there a dress code for fried chicken night? Ya boy only brought so much drip.

Thing Two: Your fit is always fire, Micah. [Chef's kiss emoji combo]

Deadbeat with a Capital D: If you need to borrow something, I'm sure Gabriel would be more than happy to give you the shirt off his back.

Deadbeat with a Capital D: If you ask nicely, he'll probably also remove his pants. [Wink emoji]

I glanced at Micah as Theo's texts landed in the group chat, covertly gauging his reaction to the incriminating comments.

As expected, he blushed.

So fucking adorable.

"How is that crush of yours on Gabriel Suarez going?" I asked, seeing no need to dance around the elephant in the room any longer.

"W-what?!" Micah choked on air. "I don't… It's not a crush, Zig. It's just a…"

It took every bit of muscle control to not smile and give the game away. "An innocent infatuation? Or is it more like a filthy little fantasy you thought you could hide from me—as if I can't taste it on your skin?"

Micah sharply inhaled before practically falling off the bed in his haste to reach where I was sitting. "Nonononoooo… It's not like that! Yeah, I had a stupid crush on Gabe back in the day. And yeah, maybe I still kinda do, but you know you're the only one for me, Zig. I would kill for you— have killed for you—and I would never do anything to hurt you, I fucking swear!"

I suppose I shouldn't continue to let him suffer.

"It's fine, babygirl," I chuckled, pulling him into my lap, straddling me—right where he belonged. "To be honest, I find the entire thing intriguing."

Micah scowled, appearing ‘big mad,' as he would say. "Excuse me?"

I shrugged. "You chasing after Gabriel like a lovesick puppy is strangely endearing."

"What?!" my stellar collision squawked. " You think that? The guy who freaked out when he thought I wanted to fuck my way through the galaxy? Who straight up wrecked my ass on the landing bay floor when we landed on Wolfy's lawn because he wanted everyone else to smell him on me?"

Guilty.

"Yes," I huffed, annoyed to find I was now the one being interrogated. "The way you and Gabriel have been behaving around each other is… cute. "

"Cute," Micah deadpanned.

I sighed. "Very well. I find it hot. Are you happy now?"

Micah's eyes were as round as the eyes of that ridiculous "alien" E.T. he'd shown me a photo of the instant we came within cell service.

After he texted Gabriel, of course.

"H-hot?" He swallowed thickly before giving me a dubious look. "You think it's hot that I find someone else attractive?"

I'm as mystified as you.

I gave his question some thought before replying, "Not just someone. Him."

Now, his eyes narrowed suspiciously. "It better not be because you're attracted to Gabe…"

So ridiculous.

"No, sunshine." I laughed, finding his jealousy to be the hottest thing of all. "You are the only one for me." It was my turn to narrow my eyes. "Just like he'd better be the only one in that stellar collision you find attractive."

Or there will be blood.

Micah squirmed deliciously. "I mean… Dre is his identical twin, so he's also kinda…" When I growled, he threw his hands in the air. "I've never gotten the same vibes from Dre, so whatever, and I would rather lie down in traffic than touch Theo, if that makes you feel better."

It does.

"Andre seems to have far better self-control than his twin," I mused, determined to decode this phenomenon. "So that might explain why the attraction isn't as strong… But from a pe rsonality standpoint, I can see why you and Gabriel would be drawn to each other."

Like attracts like.

Micah rubbed the back of his neck. "I honestly don't know what is going on with us, but Gabe seems just as confused and freaked out about the whole thing as I am." Guilt flavored the air as he paused to chew his bottom lip. "He… resonated for me last night, Zig, and I felt a pull in return…"

What?!

Wait.

Not for the first time, I wished I had grown into adulthood with at least one of my parents to guide me instead of the Stellarian foundling system I was raised in. Even with eventually discovering my calling with Astrum Force, most everything I knew had been learned on my own through trial, error, and sheer stubborn grit.

It was slightly humiliating to not fully understand how resonance worked at my age, but the last thing I wanted was to ask anyone back on Stellaria to explain it to me.

And I would rather lie down in traffic than ask Theo.

There is another Stellarian here on the island, however…

I suddenly realized I could corner Luca for answers tonight. He was far older than Theo anyway and had a reputation for being a father-figure for the Suarez family.

Literally, for some of them.

He was also notoriously neutral, and someone I wouldn't have to see much in the future if I completely embarrassed myself.

But first, I'll need to create a distraction .

"Gabriel resonated for you, hmm? Sounds like a serious affliction." I chuckled darkly, pulling my mate closer when he huffed in annoyance. "What I'm curious about is whether you only felt the pull in your chest… or was it also with your cock?"

"ZIG!" Micah gasped as I shoved a hand down the front of his shorts and gripped his noticeably half-hard cock. "I… Fuck. Why would you ask me that?"

Because I know you.

And I love it.

"Answer the question," I growled, stroking him to hardness. "Or would you rather tell me who's on top in your slutty little fantasies?"

"F-fuck," he choked out, subtly rocking his hips, despite his protests. "I don't… I don't know what the right answer is…"

I stopped teasing and lifted his chin with my other hand so he could see the sincerity in my eyes. "This isn't a trap, Micah. I trust you and, like I said, I find this crush to be incredibly hot."

Never mind that one of the hottest parts about this entire situation was the idea of Micah taking something from Theo—even if just in theory.

I'll keep that part to myself.

Wouldn't want to spoil the illusion of me being the "better man."

The sound of Micah's needy whimper brought my attention back to the all-important task of tormenting my favorite toy. Only a few strokes had him thrusting into my hand like he meant it—the glide of his precum helping him chase his release .

"I… I actually haven't thought about… who would be…" he gasped helplessly, "on t-top."

So cute.

I hummed thoughtfully as I increased my pace, unleashing a few tendrils to wrap around his back and hold him steady. "Hmm… I could see you submitting for Gabriel while he takes you apart." When Micah moaned, I knew I was on the right track. "Yes. I would love to see that."

Hold on.

We both froze as Micah gaped at me. "You… want to watch?"

"Would you like me to watch?" I hesitantly asked, no longer sure if we were speaking in hypotheticals.

Or if we're only talking about him.

"Fuck yes," he harshly whispered, dropping his forehead to my shoulder and desperately thrusting once again. "I would only want this to happen if you could be there."

Well, fuck.

Involving me wasn't part of the plan—and neither was my hard cock—but my mate was so close, I could taste it.

Delicious.

"Come for me, babygirl," I whispered in his ear as his rhythm began to grow erratic. "Show me what a slut you are."

My slut.

"I am… such a…slut," he panted before unloading in his shorts with the cutest, sluttiest whine. "Yours."

Mine.

Giving Micah a moment to recover, I withdrew my hand and languidly lapped up his release. Normally, I would have cleaned all of him with my tongue, but my plans for the evening required a different strategy.

"We should both get ready for dinner, which means you" —I poked at his soaked shorts—"should probably work on that drip."

"Asshole," he mumbled against my neck before unsteadily climbing off my lap. "I need to shower first?—"

"No," I interrupted firmly. "I want you smelling like this all night."

Like temptation.

"Whatever, perv." He rolled his eyes before shuffling away, but I already knew he would obey.

What Space Daddy wants, Space Daddy gets.

Twenty minutes later, we were both dressed in what Micah called "smart casual with a side of funky flex."

Whatever that means.

I was more than happy to let my mate dress me up however he wanted, because it allowed me to focus on other things.

Like antagonizing my prey.

"Zig?" Micah's hesitant tone had me unleashing my tendrils to surround him where he was shifting awkwardly in place. "Are you sure you're okay with… you know…?"

I tasted uncertainty, lust, guilt, shame, and enough anxiety to have me hissing in a breath.

Oh, sunshine.

In two strides, I was standing in front of him, cupping his gorgeous face in my hands. "Yes, Micah. I promise, I would tell you if I was uncomfortable with the idea of you being attracted to Gabriel. That being said, I have no idea why I'm okay with it, or what the explanation is for your attraction, so we'll just have to explore this together."

Aside from my covert experiments, it was the truth. If there was one creature in all the galaxies I felt comfortable exploring our shared fantasies with, it was my extremely impressive stellar collision.

Micah graced me with his sunshine-y smile. "We will—for science."

For science.

The moment we arrived at the grand lodge, I sensed Theo's presence. Granted, I could also sense Simon's and—faintly—Gabriel and Andre's.

This ‘family' situation is getting crowded.

I should hate it… but I don't…

Deciding to get my mission over with, I left Micah with Zion and strode to where Luca was standing with Baltasar.

"Oh, hey, Alien Rambo! You clean up pretty good for a Deathball player… playa."

I nodded stiffly. "Thank you. I need a word with Luca in private, so…"

That's as polite as I can be.

Baltasar was used to my brusqueness, but his eyes widened as he threw Luca a panicked look.

"It's quite alright, Balty," Luca soothed before canting his chin across the room. "Go be with your inventus."

"But what about…" the villain croaked as his phone chimed with a series of alerts .

Luca smiled gently. "I assure you, this new development will only strengthen your relationship." When Baltasar grumbled and wandered away, the Stellarian turned to me. "The same goes for you."

"Excuse me?" I attempted to keep my tone even, but there was no mistaking the hitch in my voice.

Is he a mind reader too?

Do some Stellarians have that ability?

Luca observed me silently for a moment—while I tightened the locks on my mental barriers—before sighing. "I assume you've come to ask why my son was resonating for your mate last night."

"You know about that?" I immediately switched to the Stellarian language, slightly horrified to think about others being aware of what was going on.

Although, with this family, they probably already do.

The Stellarian nodded slowly and answered me in kind. "Yes. It wasn't our resonance, but I picked up on it all the same."

Right.

Because Gabriel also shares a resonance with Luca.

An even more horrifying thought occurred to me. "Did… Micah resonate for him in return?"

Lucas sharply glanced at me, clearly intrigued. "He can do that?"

I knew it was considered a faux pas to discuss how a supe's powers worked, but I needed answers.

And I'm no supe .

"He has created an instrument that can reproduce our language." I cleared my throat, irritated to feel my human skin blushing. "A harp he uses to match my resonance…"

This is so embarrassing.

"Impressive," was all Luca said, which earned him points in my book. "And no, he didn't produce his harp and resonate in return."

Thank fuck.

In the same way I'd forbidden Gabriel to touch Micah's mechanical tendrils with his, I absolutely did not want my mate resonating for anyone other than me.

Yet… you're okay with his dick getting hard for someone else?

Ugh.

This makes no sense!

"Micah is the most impressive supe I've met here on Earth." I buried my distress, refocusing on the purpose of this conversation by taking my opening. "Aside from your twins, of course. Where is Gabriel anyway?"

I'd already clocked Andre deep in discussion with Wolfgang and Simon, and Theo looked to be harassing a group of supes I didn't recognize, but I'd seen no sign of our prey.

"Hiding, I'm sure," Luca chuckled dryly. "Although whether from you or Micah is unclear."

When he gave me an expectant look, I realized I should match his candor. "I don't mean him any harm, Luca. Micah and I are simply trying to understand what's going on and why…" I blew out a slow breath. "Why I'm okay with it. With… Gabriel specifically."

No one else .

Luca seemed unconcerned. "It's probably because it's quite common for Stellarians to resonate with the stellar collisions of their makers and offspring." He shrugged. "It's the same resonance, after all."

As simple as that.

I despised coming across as less than knowledgeable on any subject, but I was also desperate for intel—desperate to understand so I could make this work.

Anything for my babygirl.

Squaring my shoulders, I soldiered on. "Is it also common for these Stellarians—and adjacent mates—to have… relationships with each other?"

"If by ‘relationships' you mean sex, then, yes." Luca laughed as I huffed. "And if you mean a strong emotional connection—also yes. Sometimes one or the other, or neither. If there's anything I've learned in my tens of thousands of years here on Earth, it's that love and attraction follow no rules, nor are they meant to." His gaze drifted to a vaguely familiar normie who'd joined Wolfgang's circle before returning to me. "The concept of strict monogamy is also a fairly new one, and a culturally-dependent one at that."

I sighed again, feeling only slightly closer to finding answers. "Well, it's a concept I strongly believe in with my mate, aside from this… singular instance. I don't generally like to share."

Only child problems.

Previously only child…

Luca hummed thoughtfully. "While it's good that you've figured out your boundaries—and discussed them with your mate—this isn't only about you. A conversation needs to happen with all parties involved. "

Double ugh.

When I grimaced, he continued, "This unexpected connection could be the very thing to re connect you and Theo. Hopefully, I'm not overstepping to suggest it… but there's nothing more painful for a Stellarian to overhear than a resonance reaching for its match, only to go unanswered."

I angrily rubbed my chest, which had begun to inexplicably ache. "My resonance is decidedly not reaching for Theo."

"But his is reaching for you," Luca firmly replied. "You're just too closed off to hear it."

Well… fuck.

I was debating star hopping away from what had become an uncomfortable conversation when Luca switched gears. "You know, I never wanted children or cared about the concept of family . That all changed the moment I laid eyes on young Wolfgang Suarez, and now, look how full my existence has become."

He paused to sweep his gaze over the crowd socializing in the grand lodge. "Can you imagine what would have happened if I hadn't answered that call? How dramatically different not only my life but the lives of this family would have been had I not let a deadly yet harmless little supe into my stolen heart?"

Fuck.

This is so much larger than me.

A hand squeezing my shoulder had me turning to face the older— much older—Stellarian. "I have no doubt you will figure this out, Ziggy, because that determination is exactly how you got as far as you have. However, it's now time to let others help—to let others in. "

I swallowed thickly, feeling oddly seen yet not exposed. "Thank you. I… appreciate all the help I can get."

He smiled warmly and released my shoulder before turning toward the crowd once again. "Anytime, son. It's good to have another true Stellarian join the family."