1st Pathway

When I woke up I was in my bed, still wearing the same clothes from yesterday. The covers were around me so tight that I could tell someone tucked me in.

"Oww..."

"You have a hangover?" I held my head and looked up to see RJ leaning against my doorpost. "Come downstairs... I bought coffee and breakfast." He then walked away. It was hard getting up, I felt like I was going to puke, I hope I can make it to the bathroom before that happens. I needed to purge some of the Bane from my body before heading to where Raijian was. He had brought me a bacon egg and cheese sandwich, hashbrowns, and a coffee with the perfect amount of cream and sugar for me. "Feeling better?" RJ asked, placing his elbows on the table and folding his hands together in front of his face.

"Yeah..."

"Good... let's go for a walk again, after this. I think we should talk." That's so worrisome, I almost lost my appetite. The fresh air felt good, but the bright sun was pure torture. He grabbed my hand and said, "Don't fall behind this time." My fingertips tingled, and I fought my nerves to squeeze his hand in return.

"I won't," I answered.

"Why are you trying to take care of me?" He asked, walking a slower pace today, to match mine.

"Well... until I have something else to offer... I don't want to be a freeloader." He laughed,

"Letting you stay here is barely an expense for me... It actually makes me really anxious having you do things for me... and seeing you greeting me in the morning. Just having you waiting for me to come home every day..."

"I didn't know having me around was so awful," I replied with a sulk and he laughed. RJ rarely laughs out loud so it caught me off guard.

"I'm saying it's the opposite...I need to know... were you, sent by my father?" He asked, pausing in his steps and looking at me. I met his eyes and tilted my head saying,

"Who's your father?" He looked as if he was going to laugh again but covered his mouth.

"Never mind." We walked silently for a while, then I said,

"I wasn't sent by anyone... I don't know why I ended up at your house either."

"I can read thoughts... not deeply hidden secrets but whatever words are currently flashing through your mind. When you first arrived, I could see yours as well..." I gasped in shock after his confession, then he paused once again and hugged me gently, "I know you've gone through a lot... Snowe... I'm sorry," He released me "Is it okay if I hold you?" I thought RJ was cold... but he's actually very warm. I wrapped my arms around him and gripped his shirt.

"You can hug me," I answered. He sighed, laying his chin on my head, then alternating to his cheek, holding me in an embrace.

"Are you sure you weren't sent here to make me weak...?" I scoffed,

"I'd be surprised if I have any effect on you at all." He didn't respond, but I could clearly hear his heart racing, RJ stopped hugging me but I kept my arms around him defiantly and he laughed again.

"I don't know why your mind has gone silent... but I'm going to trust you, don't make me regret it." He noted while placing his hand on my head.

"I won't!" I replied, and then I finally let him go, blushing from my own boldness. He smells nice, like fresh flowers. "Is that the only reason you invited me on a date? To interrogate me?" His cheeks reddened, and then he grabbed my hand once again and began taking steps forward,

"I figured a spy wouldn't let their guard down around me... so you proved that if you're a spy, you're a real dumb one." I pouted then he added, "I didn't realize it was a date, though."

"Well, my bad!" I retorted, feeling huffy. I guess I'm rejected before even making a confession.

"... It's just, I didn't think you'd agree to go on a date with me. Had no idea you had any interest in me." He looked on into the distance, his hand was starting to feel so hot that it was hard to bear.

"Why wouldn't I... you saved me, RJ, and I really like you a lot," I replied. He stopped walking and looked at me hard, furrowing his brows.

"Because of Zai..." I felt confused. Why is he bringing up his brother?

"I don't understand. I've barely even spoken to him." I explained.

"... Also... you might leave at any moment. You showed up out of nowhere... you might disappear from my life one day as well. It's hard getting attached to you... I had feelings for someone not long ago that rejected me, pretty harshly. I'm not 100% over that and I can't take it happening again." Then all his past actions made sense, him asking when I'll leave or saying that me doing stuff for him made him anxious...

"I don't know how I got here... but I know I felt afraid and more hurt than I ever have on Infaniya, I feel safe here. I'm not going anywhere." RJ looked at my face once again, scanning for signs of deception.

"Then... let's go on more, dates." I blushed and smiled awkwardly before turning away.

"Yeah... I'd like that."

"And... I should also mention... I'm an Afarion." His confession momentarily stunned me, I had always imagined Afarions as ugly, brutish, and cold. It's hard to grasp that one would give shelter and show compassion to an Infaniyan. He's really putting himself at risk for me.

"That... I don't know how to feel about that... but regardless you're still RJ... so I still like you." He looked as if the weight of the world fell from his shoulders and he smiled widely,

"I like you too..."

From then on, he'd pay for me to get a manicure and pedicure once a week and we went out every night. We went out dancing, to a zoo, an aquarium, Karaoke on a few more occasions, a planetarium, and even camping. The camping was in the forest behind his house, we laid on our mats, side by side, staring up at the sky.

"This really is a different world," I stated in awe... after going to the planetarium I wanted to view the night sky in person... It's much more beautiful in person.

"The room I grew up in, had no windows... I wasn't allowed outside, but I did manage to sneak out in the daytime, so I only saw the stars when I came to Earth as well." I rolled on my side and looked at him,

"That sounds awful..." I commented,

"It was..."

"Why were you locked up?" I asked and he rolled over to face me, his aqua eyes seemed to glow in the dark, illuminating the night, just like the stars,

"My father..."

"He sounds like a real asshole!" Every time his father is mentioned it seems to be something horrible. Locking RJ up during his childhood and sending spies to hurt him... I don't even need to ask why he ended up on this planet, where else could he go?

"He is." RJ agreed then he flashed me his perfect white teeth and reached for my hand. "Can you not see the sky on Infaniya?"

"Umm... we have 3 suns... it's never this dark, there." I answered. He closed his eyes and intertwined our fingers.

"That sounds nice..." Then he drifted off to sleep. I moved closer to him and snuggled up before falling asleep as well. I woke up wrapped up in his arms.

Sometime the next day we went inside and when checking my email, to my surprise, there was a message from IIC saying they realized my body was never discovered and to come to their headquarters for Identification verification! I rushed downstairs to give RJ the news but his expression was downcast,

"Oh..."

"Isn't this a good thing?" I asked,

"I ... can't make you stay Snowe... go back home if that's what you want."After saying this he left the house. He looked afraid of my response... I rushed out after him and slammed the door behind me, making him pause in his steps to look at me.

"I'm not leaving!" He stood frozen in place then I continued, "I'm just going to get my ID... I have no reason to go back home... I want to stay with you." He then came up the stairs onto the porch and stared down at me.

".... I'm not mad at you... you don't need to say that for me." He replied.

"I know... you're too kind to ask me to stay. I... give you permission to be a little selfish," After my declaration he tilted my chin upwards and kissed me tenderly, once, twice, and then our lips met so many times I stopped trying to count.

"I'm... happy... of course, I'll still take you there... I'm just so glad you're not moving away."

He did as promised. Upon arrival, I found out my dad was dead, my mom killed him and my rapist is set to be released from prison, because of the fact that I was found alive. This strengthened my resolve to stay on Earth, nothing good is waiting for me back home. I was weeping on the car ride home, after 20 minutes RJ stopped the car and pulled over onto the side of the highway. He got out first then came and opened my door, offering his hand. "Let's take a walk, Snowe... I want to know exactly what has made you so upset." I took his offer and we went into the forest, just deep enough that I could no longer hear the noise of the other cars. Then we sat together under a tree and I spilled everything to him. He listened, quietly, and let me rest my head on his shoulder, every once in a while brushing the tears from my cheeks. Once I stopped crying we headed back to the car and went home.