Chapter Thirteen

“Lisa,” said Poul as she finished her foray with the refresher unit, “it’s coming up on tea time. Are you hungry?”

“Hm?” she asked, straightening up from her position leaning over the machine. She cast a look at the timepiece he’d given her; he sensed her mind work a little in figuring out the time in a format familiar to her. “Oh, yeah. Sure. What are you thinking?”

He thought a moment. “Would you…be opposed to something simple? It’s been a rather long day…”

She smiled and gave his arm a squeeze. “Sure, no problem. I know you used the leftovers from last night’s dinner for the sandwiches earlier but was there any left?” At his nod, she grinned. “Cool, we can reconfigure that into something. What else was left?”

“Let’s look in the storage chiller,” he said, pointing to the appliance in question.

“Called a ‘refrigerator’ where I come from,” she quipped with a smile.

Together they opened the chiller and removed the leftover beef, some of the leftover vegetables, and some leafy greens. Lisa poked through the other cabinets and found a box of dried noodles and declared they could make something called a stir-fry.

As they cooked together, the scent of the meal filled the kitchen – warm, savory, comforting. Poul found himself smiling as he tossed the beef and vegetables in their pan, reminded again of the simple and undeniable fact that he wasn’t alone anymore.

Lisa’s wing brushed against him; she was boiling water for the noodles and was adding spices for flavor but he knew she sensed his thoughts and feelings.

Their task completed quickly and Lisa plated the food and took it to the table while Poul got drinks. He blew on his food before he took a bite, and made an appreciative sound.

“Very nice,” he said. “You must cook for yourself when you’re not traveling amongst the stars.”

She shrugged, blowing on her forkful to cool it down. “I also watch a lot of cooking shows. You pick up a few things. Taste is all about spicy, salty, sour, sweet, bitter, umami.”

Poul blinked. “U-what?”

“Also known as ‘savory’,” she explained. “From things like beef broth or gravy, mushrooms, some cheeses. Anyways, as long as Kaldor has similar flavor profiles as what I’m used to, I can help.”

He smiled and squeezed her hand. “Perhaps you can teach me some dishes you are familiar with?”

“Sure,” she said with her own smile. “I’ve been using the same cookie recipe for two-and-a-half millennia.” At his raised eyebrow, she said, “Hey, when something works, you don’t change it.”

Poul chuckled and they continued their meal. About halfway through, a soft musical tune played that he told her was the refresher unit finishing its drying cycle.

“Awesome,” she said, grinning. “After dinner, I can put these away and…oh.” Her expression shifted.

Poul sensed her mind grind to a halt and looked at her, concerned. “What is it?”

Her wings took on a faint pink tinge. “I just realized that I don’t have a place to store the clothes. I don’t have a dresser in my room.”

“Oh,” he said, realization hitting him. “Oh! Oh, dear. You’re right.”

“I guess I could just fold them and put them on the futon for now,” she mused, tapping her chin with the end of her fork. “It’s not like I use the thing for anything but sitting anyway.”

“Or…” he said at length, “I could clear out some space in my wardrobe for you. You already sleep in my room, so it just makes sense to keep your clothes there.”

Her mind made a few flip-flops as she weighed her options. “I mean…either way. If you’re offering, I won’t say no.”

That settled they finished their meal and while Poul cleaned up the dishes and set the cleansing unit to its cycle, Lisa pulled her clothes out of the refresher unit and took a big sniff.

“Mm,” she said, hugging the pile to her chest. “I love fresh warm clothes out of the dryer. Watch your head.”

Poul looked up to see her clothes levitating out of the machine and folding themselves in midair, piling up sorted by type – tops, bottoms, sleepwear, socks, and undergarments, at which point he found something else in the room to focus on.

“Poul,” she said, chuckling, “I know you’re a gentleman, but if seeing underwear bothers you that much, I’ll just keep them on the futon in my room.”

“No, I…” He took a breath and let it out slowly. “You deserve your privacy.”

“Sure,” she agreed, “as do you. But Poul, you’re acting like a schoolboy. ‘Oh no, Lisa has girl parts!’ ” She wiggled her fingers dramatically.

He couldn’t help the blush that colored his cheeks and he looked away. He sensed her teasing fade to concern. “Hey,” she said, coming to stand beside him and placing her hand on his arm. “I’m only joking. If it makes you feel better to avert your eyes, it’s fine. But I don’t want to make you uncomfortable by storing the stuff in your room.”

Poul looked down at her; he saw the apprehension in her eyes. “I’ll be fine, Lisa. It’ll be fine.” He put his arm around her shoulders and squeezed. “Let’s clear you a space.”

He led the way to the bedroom, exhaling softly as he surveyed the interior of his wardrobe. It wasn’t overflowing by any means, but he hadn’t reorganized it in a long time, and he could already see a few things that could be shifted or folded better.

“This might take a moment,” he admitted, rolling up his sleeves. “It’s been a while since I’ve properly gone through all this.”

Lisa stood back, watching him with an amused glint in her eyes. “Take your time. It’s not like I need to sleep anytime soon.” She leaned against the doorframe, idly sorting through the folded clothes still levitating beside her.

Poul worked in silence for a few minutes, shifting stacks of neatly folded shirts, reorganizing his socks and underclothes into a more compact space. He hesitated over a couple of things that he rarely wore anymore but decided against making any major decisions tonight. Once he had a decent amount of room cleared, he stepped back. “There. A couple of drawers should do.”

Lisa stepped forward, giving the space an approving nod. “Much appreciated.” She levitated her folded clothes into the drawers with an efficient flick of her fingers, then smoothed her hands over the surface as if that finalized the matter. “There. Now I officially live here.”

Poul huffed softly, shaking his head. “I think you made that official when you took over my kitchen.”

She grinned. “And you love it.”

“…I don’t hate it,” he conceded, earning a quiet laugh from her.

With that settled, she stretched her arms over her head, wings fluttering faintly behind her, and pushed her hair from her face. The feel of it gave her pause. “Hm. Do you mind if I wash my hair?” she asked. “I think I’m reaching my limit on ‘days without a shower’.”

“Oh, of course,” he answered. “Will you need body wash…hair cleanser?”

She nodded, spreading her empty hands. “Not like I can travel with toiletries.”

He chuckled. “There should be extra bottles in the bathroom. The washes I use don’t have heavy scents, so you’re welcome to use them.”

“Thanks,” she said, then paused. “Huh. I just thought of something.”

Poul raised an eyebrow. “What is it?”

“I don’t have anywhere to put my dirty clothes,” she mused. “Didn’t think about that until just now.”

Poul nodded toward the corner of the room. “I have a hamper. I can find something for you to use.”

Lisa’s lips quirked in amusement. “Unless you want me just tossing them in with yours, yeah, that’d be good.”

Poul glanced toward his hamper, considering, before shaking his head. “I’ll find something,” he said dryly. He stepped over to the closet and retrieved a spare storage bin. “This should work for now.”

Lisa accepted it with a nod. “Thanks. Temporary solution, but it’ll do.” She set it down by the wall, near the wardrobe. “Okay, now I think I’m actually set. Where do you keep your towels?”

“There’s a linen closet in the bathroom. Help yourself.”

“Thanks.” Lisa gathered up her fresh clothes and made her way inside, pausing in the doorway to glance over her shoulder. “Don’t wait up,” she teased. “I might just get distracted by how fancy this refresher unit of yours makes everything feel.”

Poul shook his head, but there was fondness in his gaze as he watched her disappear into the hallway to the bathroom. He let out a quiet breath, running a hand through his hair before moving to sit on the edge of the bed.

For the first time in years, his home felt full. Lived in. Safe.

And he wasn’t alone.

End chapter thirteen.

Back *~*~* Chapter Twelve *~*~* Chapter Fourteen