A colorful and culturally diverse selection of cursing filled the cockpit as the stranger banged his fist against the dash. He then lifted the ship from the dock again, this time without the sideways lean.
There was still a significant wobble though.
Muttered cursing underscored the creaking, rattling symphony of their wobbling ascent into the darkness of space.
Theo used what he liked to consider covert techniques to observe his captor, who focused on controlling the ship with knuckles white beneath his tattoos.
The hexagonal designs on his wrists wrapped around strong forearms, also accented by the odd botanical element, which jarred against the severe geometric patterns.
One of the botanical elements draped down across the back of his Honor hand; its lush greenery, caged by wandering geometric lines, spilled from under the pushed-back cuff of his thermal knit shirt. More calligraphy kissed the nape of his neck, framed by the parallel lines snaking down below his collar.
Theo leaned closer to try to interpret the letters and earned a quelling glance. The man’s lips tightened into a line of disapproval. Lips that were molded into smooth, lush curves. Theo pondered how they might feel caught delicately between his teeth.
Or indelicately, for that matter.
The stranger relaxed his grip on the controls as he peered at the projections across his screen, then let go to sit back in his chair.
Theo released his harness to tilt forward, wrists draped over his crossed knees. “What should I call you?”
The stranger kept his attention on the view screen. “My name is unimportant.”
Fiendish delight curled through Theo as he lifted his hands to fuss with his cuff in a flourish. “Unimportant, is it? That’s a strange name. Maybe not where you come from, but certainly where I live. Cultural naming practices are absolutely fascinating, don’t you agree? It is a pleasure to meet you, Unimportant!”
The stranger slowly turned to Theo, his face stricken in a very familiar “did he just” grimace. He shook his head, brows scrunching at Theo before turning away. “No. My name is not relevant. You don’t need to know it.”
Theo flung his arms in the air, fingers spread as irritation won out. “Well, I can’t just call you ‘stranger’ forever!”
The stranger considered him with growing concern, as though he was just now considering the possibility that Theo may be slightly unbalanced.
It usually didn’t take people quite this long.
“You have never called me ‘stranger.’”
Theo churned his hands through the air emphatically. “In my head, obviously! I need something to refer to you by, if only in my thoughts!”
The stranger’s expression grew less concerned and more contemplative. “You have been thinking about me.”
The problem was that when Theo blushed, it was both hideously and violently as if someone had dumped a bucket of red paint over his head and let it run down his body. He fidgeted in his seat, tucking his elbows in tightly. “Well, there isn’t really anyone else here, is there? Of course I have been thinking about you! In a strictly socially acceptable, non-creepy way.”
The stranger said nothing, but the way his chest rose and fell with a deep, extended breath seemed judgmental to Theo.
“I’m sorry,” Theo said, “that sounded creepy. Not that I should worry about what you think of me, considering you’re my abductor. If anyone is creepy here, it is clearly you.”
“Park.”
Theo took a deep breath of his own, thankful for the interruption as he could feel himself building up to an absolute mountain of babble. “Pardon?”
The stranger turned to the view screen, but Theo could tell he was keeping him in his peripheral. “My name. Captain Jun Park.”
Straightening in his seat excitedly, Theo extended his hand once more. “Absolutely smashing to meet you, Jun! You may call me—”
Jun winced at Theo’s use of his name, his body language already suffused with regret. He frowned as he interrupted Theo’s introduction. “I know your name.”
Theo used his extended hand to toss his hair back over his shoulder, then swirled one lock around his index finger. “Well, yes, you did come searching for Dr. Campbell, but my given name is—”
“Theophrastus.”
Theo’s ears perked up at the accurate, if accented, pronunciation. He tilted forward in his seat, perched at full attention. “However did you know that?”
Jun twitched his head in the direction of his coat, one shoulder lifting in a quarter of a shrug. “Your paper.”
Humming thoughtfully, Theo laced his fingers together over one knee as he swung his foot. “Of course. I had quite forgotten you were a fellow linguistics enthusiast. I only use my full name on academic documents. My friends call me Theo. Well, perhaps ‘friends’ is an overstatement. My associates and Ari call me Theo anyway.”
Theo firmly stomped down on the familiar prick of pain at the reminder that he had no one but his brother to call a friend. People didn’t tend to spend time with Theo on purpose, not for any length of it anyway.
No point in dwelling on such dreary matters. Every day a new opportunity. One never knew when a handsome stranger might carry one off into the sunset, after all. The fact that there had been no sunset and, instead, a depressing fog did nothing to dim Theo’s delight with the possibilities.
“I really must insist that you call me Theo rather than trying to muddle through Theophrastus.” Theo slanted a sly glance up through his eyelashes. “I’ve been told I’m quite a mouthful.”
Jun made an odd choking noise, face drifting out of his frown for a few stunned, glorious seconds.
Now, that was fascinating. Theo needed to see more of that.
Jun released the controls to run a hand through the longer strip of hair on the top of his head, gripping it by the roots as he turned a glare on Theo. “Do you ever stop talking?”
Theo considered this, head tilted to the side as his foot continued to swing. “Generally, no. Not unless my mouth is otherwise occupied.”
Jun’s gaze fell to his lips at that before darting away to the view screen.
A blush
