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Lex hung the gas pump back up, locked the truck, then walked to the shop. A bell above the door tinkled when she pushed it open. The cashier smiled at her.
“Hey, Lex. How’s it goin’?
“Hi, Mack. Good, how’re you?”
“Good, good…”
She grabbed a bag of chips and a ginger ale and came to the counter. He scanned them, then pointed to a small display of Valentine’s-themed KitKats.
“We got a promotion. Buy one, get one half-off.”
She smiled. “No, thanks.”
“No one in mind to share with?”
Mack was a cute guy. Late 30s, groomed beard, kind eyes. They flirted a little whenever she came in. But even before she started “dating” Storm (which was a generous term, since he disappeared for weeks to months on end), she wouldn’t have gone out with him. It was nothing personal, she just didn’t want any social complications in this town.
“Not right now, no.”
He nodded and handed her the things in a shopping bag.
“Take care,” he said with his usual warm smile.
“You too.”
~
When she got home, Lex turned on the TV just for some company, then headed to the kitchen. She dropped the bag on the counter and started taking things out. A flash of pink made her do a double-take. She pulled out a bar of KitKat. A yellow sticky note was attached to it.
“Happy VD! If you ever want to talk: 000-000-0000. -- Mack”
How did he slip that in there without her noticing? She smiled to herself. Ok, maybe she would go out with him if she was single.
She left the candy on the counter, figuring it would go well with her morning tea.
Lex didn’t open her eyes right away when she woke up the next morning. When she stretched, her hands hit the headboard, which was expected, but her feet hit something solid. She curiously prodded her toes into it. In her barely-conscious state, she thought it was her childhood dog.
“Comet?” she mumbled and blinked her eyes open.
She screamed. Storm did not look amused. She screamed again when she saw what he was holding.
Scrambling to sit up against the headboard, she rubbed her eyes.
“What the hell is wrong with you? Stop scaring me! It’s not funny anymore.”
“Not trying to be funny.”
“Oh? Then why the fuck are you sitting on my bed holding a xenomorph skull?”
To her surprise, he hissed . As she stared at him, dumbfounded, he got off the bed and stood up. He looked comically tall with his head almost brushing the low ceiling. He held up the skull in his right hand.
“Hang where?”
“Where? I don’t want that thing in my house.”
He hissed again and turned to stalk out the room.
“Don’t fucking hiss at me again!”
She wasn’t about to rush after a man being rude to her, who wasn’t even invited or bothered to announce himself, so she went about her usual routine. In a bad mood, but still. She came into the living room. Storm was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. The skull was at his feet.
She crossed her arms, too. “I’m not kidding. Don’t ever ‘speak’ to me like that again.”
He nodded once.
“Now, why are you in such a bad mood?”
He nodded in the direction of the kitchen. “You have…sssu-tor.”
“What?”
He pointed an accusatory claw at the counter. She turned to scan the room. Her eyes landed on the KitKat with the note.
Ohhh…
She laughed out loud, then clapped a hand over her mouth. She thought Storm would get even more pissed, but his expression remained the same.
“I not prove myself enough. I bring more trophies. I best this human male.”
“Huh?” she blurted, all traces of humor gone, “You did what?”
Storm’s mandibles twitched wryly. “I not kill him. I prove I’m better. He give you worthless trophy. Please take this.”
He gestured to the skull. Lex sighed deeply and scratched between her eyebrows.
“You don’t have any competition. I don’t like him. Well, not enough to go out with him...” The fact that she was sort of lying wasn’t important. The most important thing was to stop Storm from doing anything out of pocket. “...I was going to eat the chocolate because it was a gift. I just hadn’t taken the number off yet.”
A grumble came from Storm’s chest, but it sounded more like a whine than an expression directed at her. He started ranting in his own language, gesturing vaguely at the chocolate. Lex stared at him aloofly, then turned to fix herself breakfast. He followed her, still rambling on about something. He finally quieted down by the time she put a bagel in the toaster.
“Summary?” she asked over a cup of tea.
He snatched up his helmet from the end of the table. He only put it on for long enough to translate one pert statement: “It’s insulting to present such an insignificant gift to a female. By my laws, you or your clan would be well within your rights to kill him.”
She snorted. “Damn. The stakes for gifting must be pretty high on Yautja Prime. Here in the U.S., it’s ok to offer something small to start out. Show you’re thinking about someone.”
Storm cocked his head. His gaze was searching.
“Admit you like it.”
She raised a brow, and he repeated, “Admit you like his gift.”
She set the mug down and snatched the KitKat off the counter. She pocketed the note, then opened the package. She made eye contact with Storm as she broke off a piece, dunked it in her tea, and chewed it.
“It’s delicious.”
He was out the door in two strides.
Lex was fairly certain he wasn’t off to go murder Mack, as that would be against his codes. So, she allowed herself to chuckle at him.
It was only after she was halfway through breakfast that she realized the xenomorph skull was still on her living room floor.