9

I woke up buried under various layers of blankets. I slowly lifted my head to look around the room and was met with the sight of Makane standing a little away from the bed, completely naked. I just paused for a moment, my brain slowly waking before I sighed and laid back down again. It was his house, I guess if he was so cool with having his literal ass out, I couldn't really do much... and I had to admit, he had a pretty nice ass.

I laid around for a bit longer before sitting up. Thankfully, he was wearing a loincloth by now.

"You are awake. Get up soon, I would like to teach you some important things about my culture." Makane said, looking at me before walking out the room. I slowly got up and changed into a t-shirt and skirt before walking down the hall to the main area where he was eating a meal similar to yesterday's breakfast.

"Come, sit." he said, sitting on the sofa. I sat opposite him and he clicked a few times before finishing his food.

"There are certain courtesies in yautja culture you should know." he started, putting his bowl down. "First, you should never touch someone's tendrils. They are a very personal area that is only touched by a life-mate or during mating in given permission."

I nodded, I hadn't planned on touching his anyway. He explained a few other things, some similar to Earth, like no mating without consent, and other different things like that yautja accept death peacefully, even if being killed by others of their kind. He told me about who he worships and it was actually quite interesting.

He eventually disappeared down the hall again and I was alone. I wondered where he'd been going, and after a few minutes of contemplating, I followed the way he'd gone. The door was open and inside was almost like a museum; walls head-to-toe with skull displays, and another full of his weapons.

"Woah... did you kill all of this stuff?" I asked, reaching to touch the skull of a Xenomorph. Makane was polishing his helmet and glanced at me, grunting.

"It is considered rude to touch a Hunter's trophies." he said gruffly, putting his helmet back on the stand. I quickly retracted my hand, mumbling an apology. He walked over and took the skull of the wall, handing it to me.

"Do not break it. This was the first Xenomorph I hunted, my first kiande amedha." he said as I touched the skull. It was smooth but heavy, its head strange and long.

"Kiande amedha? Does that mean Xenomorph?" I asked.

"It means 'hard meat'. It is what we call them, they are not good to eat... they are purely creatures of the hunt." he replied, replacing the skull on his wall. I noticed a pretty big collection of human skulls on the wall, as well as what looked like extinct animals like dinosaurs and megalodons.

Makane could probably smell my discomfort because he patted my hair.

"Do not worry, Dee. As I said, I do not want to kill you, no yautja in the clan does." he said.

"Yeah, I know. I've just never seen a human skull before."

"You were sheltered."

"Yeah, a bit of an understatement."

He chuckled a little, looking down at me. We both stared at each other for a moment in silence, the air thicker than usual before he clicked softly and walked away towards his weapon wall. What just happened???

I stood there, confused but also feeling something else... a weird giddy feeling in my stomach. The only other time I'd felt that was back at the facility when there was a kind young scientist training there for a few months. Jakob had told me it was called a 'crush', a feeling someonene geets when they like someone. Did this mean I had a crush on Makane? I'd only known him, what, a few days? Or was it weeks, I'd kind of lost track of time. The days here definitely seemed longer than on Earth, but I hadn't actually asked what the time difference was.

"Makane?" I spoke up. He grunted, taking weapons off his wall to clean.

"Yes?"

"What's the time difference here?"

"A daylight cycle here is about three on your planet."

I paused. Three days? How was I not exhausted.

"Wait, three days? Why am I not tired?" I asked, and he put the weapon down.

"Different sun speeds. Your body adapts." he replied simply, looking over at me. I felt that odd stomach feeling again, what was wrong with me?

"I have to go out. I will be back in a while. There is food in the cooking area if you need it." he said, walking closer.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"I have a Counsel meeting with Lu'tekke. I will return, do not worry."

"Oh okay..."

"Do not break anything, and refrain from touching the wespons. You will hurt yourself." Makane said, patting my head with a heavy clawed hand.

He turned and walked out the room, so I followed. I watched as he put on most his armour, excluding his helmet. He noticed me following and must've assumed I hadn't got the message. Before I knew it, he marched over and picked me up like I was nothing, carried me to the couch and sat me on it.

"Stay, Dee. You are safer here than anyone else." Makane said firmly, his hands on my shoulders. His mandibles flared slightly before he chittered and his eyes narrowed slightly.

That feeling in my stomach was full on now, and by the way he was staring at me, I'm pretty sure he smelt it.

"I will be back. Eat dinner then sleep." he basically ordered me, slowly standing up. I watched him walk to the door, and glance at me once more with a less annoyed look, then he left. I sat there, flustered and giddy from whatever that just was. Something about how easily he picked me up, it made me feel all weird inside. I had no clue what exactly this was, maybe a crush? Though it felt different this time...