CHAPTER 504: A SHARED SECRET

"Attention enrolment! Due to the high influx of people signing up today, we have not managed to register everyone in time. For those that have not gone through security checks yet, please return to your ships and wait until sunrise tomorrow. For those within the facility grounds, please follow representatives to a temporary lodging. We apologise for any inconvenience."

After the broadcast announcement, I hear a great deal of ’awws’ in the distance, towards the first checkpoint we went through earlier in the day. It made sense though that this was happening. The sun was going to set on this planet at any moment and with it being a military base, they probably had a curfew they needed to put into effect.

I made no hullaballoo about this. It had been a long day in new territory and as excited as I was to get up on that moon and begin reading till my eyes fell out, I could do with resting those eyes for a few hours in preparation.

"Apollo, I am going to get a shuttle up to the moon, I will be back down first thing ok?" Valerica said as she walked over and hugged me. "Ok, I will see you in the morning. I love you." I replied as I hugged her back.

A mistake on my part as her excitement went straight to her muscles and she almost broke my spine. "Gah! Mom!" I replied, causing a variety of emotions from each individual present that heard it.

"Ah! Whoops!" Valerica said as she gave my back reprieve and then giggled to herself as she watched me breath out heavily with my eyes closed as I began to stroke my poor lower back. Knowing I was fine, just in a smidgen of pain due to her excess love, Valerica ignored my actions and turned to Nerissa. "Do you want to share a shuttle, Nerissa?"

The Praetorian shook her head in dismissal. "No, I have catching up to do. I think I am simply going to observe Apollo as he sleeps tonight." She said, like that was a normal thing to say. It did not register to me as odd though as I was used to Jewel’s presence enveloping me as a baby, observing me as I slept. On top of the rest of my love bugs who think that just because I am inside my Mindspace that I am oblivious to my body feeling such intense glares...

Valerica squinted her eyes at Nerissa. "Hmm, ok, but no funny business. My baby needs his beauty sleep. Gabrielle, are you coming?" She then addressed her, somewhat, acquaintance, causing the woman to go wide eyed.

’What! No! Why did you have to address me! I was hiding! I wanted to watch my baby as he slept too!’ If she had managed to sneak in with the rest she thought she would have been fine spending the night in their lodging, but not now that she has been called out. She was supposed to be a ’stranger’ after all right now. It would seem odd.

Fighting off the urge to just run at Apollo with her power at full kilt and just kidnap him away from all the bitches, she instead took in a deep long breath before replying. "Sure, I have to do some planning for tomorrow anyway. "Goodnight everyone, goodnight Apollo."

"Goodni-oh friendly!" I said as the woman walked up to me and hugged me. She had been keeping her distance all day, only chatting occasionally and stared a lot, so I was not expecting the hug. But again. Contact with the woman felt bizarrely pleasurable.

’It must be a Psionic condition or something as I am getting tingles all over my body.’ I thought before letting her go after a few seconds. I then attempted to pull away only to realise the woman’s hands were still attached to my back and her head rested against my chest.

"Um..." I vocalised, but initiated the hug again, I might have just thought it was for a long time, but was actually very short. That was until I heard growling behind me, causing me to act before the creature, commonly known as Orchid, did.

"Um, Gabrielle? Hello? I-" I started, before Nerissa walked up and ripped her away from me. "Apologies Apollo, I forgot to mention that one of Gabrielle’s powers leaves her incredibly emotionally vulnerable during physical intimacy of any kind. The reason she hugged you for so long was most likely because of how kind-hearted and free spirited you are. A precious commodity of emotion. I am sure it felt pleasant to her is all. Isn’t that right Gabrielle?"

Nerissa said as she began applying pressure to the arm she was holding, showing disdain for having to lie to her friend when she strictly said she wouldn’t. Gabrielle could feel her bones on the verge of breaking, but put on a happy face, she now had a golden ticket to touch her son more!

"Yes, forgive me Apollo. I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable. I have felt your touch a few times today, handshakes, occasional bumps etcetera, an appetiser you could say. So getting the full meal after having a whiff of it all day left me a little bit stunned. Forgive me." She lied with such grace that she fooled Valerica, a woman trained to weed out lies.

’Oh! Is that what that feeling was?’ I thought to myself, not realising I have fallen into a misunderstanding. "Oh don’t worry about it Gabrielle, the hug felt nice after all. It was a hug with a pretty woman, who wouldn’t enjoy it?" I said, causing the woman to begin laughing maniacally as she began to play with her hair.

’He called me pretty!’ She swiftly stopped herself however and smiled at her baby. ’Soon, sweetheart. Soon you will know the truth. I will give you my everything first so that way, you cannot run away. you cannot be mad. You will simply love me. My baby. My Apollo.’

"Ok then. Goodnight Apollo. Janine, Orchid." She nodded her head, but received nothing back. She wasn’t surprised. They were possessive of her child, but soon she would be the one telling them their place.

After Valerimommy left with Gabrielle, we were escorted to the lodgings which were just a bunch of bunk beds placed into rooms. I counted my blessings that Nerissa was with us as when the man in charge of the lodging area spotted her, he immediately gave us a private room just to ourselves.

"Is there anything else you need Praetorian? Do not hesitate to ask." He said, causing Nerissa to reply. "That will be all, Princept. A thousand victories to you." She spoke, giving the man a salute that he clearly felt with his entire existence as he saluted back and screamed back. "A thousand victories!"

After shutting the door on the man shortly after, Nerissa turned to my smug face. "Well, aren’t you handy to have around? Our own room thanks to your little admirer." I attempted to tease, causing Nerissa to rebuke.

"Apollo, you are the outlier. Everyone here holds great respect for me, I think you forget this because of our closeness, which brings me onto my next point. We are going to be spending a great deal of time together. Now, Orchid already knows, but do you trust Janine not to spill my secret, Apollo? I would like to enter a state of undress when the time calls for it after all."

Janine who had just lay down, not realising how sore her feet were until just now, sat back up curiously. "A secret? What secret?" She asked, but got no reply as I just stared at her with a smile, causing her to blush as she suddenly became the centre of attention.

"Yes, I trust Janine with my own life, besides she is great at keeping secrets. She kept the fact that she was a Sepiida from most of her crew for a very long time after all." I stated, causing Nerissa to look at Janine for a moment with a hint of familiarity.

"That is true, I failed to recognise that point. Very well, she would understand more than anyone the importance of maintaining secrecy." She stated before she removed her helmet. Janine was immediately curious as she realised she had never seen Nerissa out of her helmet back when Apollo was sick and soon thereafter gasped as she laid eyes upon the most beautiful woman she had ever seen before.

Sure she had a mega crush on Katherine in the recent past and was now in love with her best friend at the moment, but. "What the fuck? You are gorgeous!" She couldn’t help exclaim as she went over every single detail of Nerissa’s face. Her curly hair was luscious, her lips were just beckoning to be kissed, her eyes gorgeous and enchanting, changing colour from Emerald to Amethyst from one moment to the next until she finally clocked onto something that was literally staring her right in the face...

"Wait... What the? Why are you green?"