by Sina Hörth
“Hello travellers, and welcome to Carangolia 2; we hope you’ve had a pleasant journey! As you may know, Carangolia 2 is one of five planets in this system and the one closest to its star. It is the warmest planet in the system and well-liked by travellers who prefer tropical temperatures and endless blue skies. Carangolia 2 is home to an estimated 370,000 species found all over the planet. We hope you’ll enjoy its diversity as well as the multitude of activities that we offer. You may feel inclined to go surfing or hovergliding or, maybe, you’re feeling adventurous and would like to go deep sea…”
The holographic recording flickered off with a swipe of Zavir’s hand, the old Threk sighing quietly as he sat in one of the room’s wide armchairs.”Do we really have this planet on our list or do you just want to see me suffer?”
A faint laugh answered him, and the bathroom door slid open. “My dear, if I remember correctly, you are the one who suggested Carangolia 2 for our list thirty years ago,” the newcomer shrugged, moving over to where Zavir was sitting. “You told me you liked the idea of its purple oceans and wanted to see how they change colour with the tides.” One of his hands tangled in Zavir’s braids, their steel grey a stark contrast against the Threk’s turquoise scales.
“You should have stopped me, Dinain,” Zavir relaxed under his husband’s touch,” you know how drunk I was that night!”
“Well, it is certainly not my fault that you chose to get drunk on Tavdaian ale on our wedding day.”
Zavir groaned. “Yes, but you could still have stopped me from writing such a hot planet on the list!”
Dinain’s laughter rang bright in the room, and Zavir couldn’t stop himself from staring at the soft laugh lines and wrinkles and amber eyes sparkling with mirth. He still wasn’t quite sure how he had been so lucky all those years ago. “Darling, it’s not my fault that you Threk are so cold blooded and can barely stand the heat. I think this planet is lovely. We’ve never been to one with sand this blue and white plants,”Dinain trailed off, gesturing to the view from their window, “you can’t deny the charm, can you? No, I think drunk you had a very good idea back then.” He received another groan as an answer and mumbled words that sounded suspiciously like Damn Mercnars and their warm blood. Dinain laughed again, letting go of his husband’s braids to stand in front of the window.
“I suppose it’s not so bad and true: the view is lovely!” At the sound of Zavir’s voice, Dinain turned around only to find ice-blue eyes looking at him fondly. “You are such a sap,” he smiled, walking back towards Zavir.
“I do have the most beautiful husband in the universe. You can’t really blame me!” Brown skin flushed green as Dinain let himself be pulled down into the armchair. “I can’t believe you!”
It was Zavir’s turn to laugh, pulling his husband closer and resting his chin on his shoulder. “Happy anniversary love and to another cross on our list!”
“To another cross on our list,” Dinain answered softly, melting into the embrace.
© Sina Hörth 2022-08-29