Ming-Na finished changing in the loading dock’s locker room and turned the corner. Her breath caught when she spied Alec, shirt off and trousers unbuttoned. His sleek, tanned skin looked deliciously touchable beneath the dim lights, and the toned muscles in his back flexed as he reached for the button-up he’d wear on their journey to the surface.

Not wanting to disturb him, Ming-Na took a step backward. Her heel collided with a bucket one of the cleaning crew must have forgotten, and Alec’s attention turned to her.

“Oh! Alec, you’re not ready yet!” Her cheeks pinked and her heart hammered against her chest. She wanted to shrink down and disappear into the shadows. “I’ll wait for you on the loading dock.”

“Spying on me, Ming-Na?” Alec clicked his tongue playfully. “If you wanted to see more, you could have asked.” He closed the distance between them, cupping her face in his hands.

“Alec,” she murmured, the heat of his skin overwhelming. She’d yearned to be this close to him for so long.

“May as well practice, right?” His breath was hot against her ear. “No one’s watching.”

His kiss stole her words, and his tongue traced a new language into hers. She could hardly breathe. Couldn’t think. Her hands explored his chest, his abdomen, the curve of his hip, until her fingers reached his jeans and she fumbled with his belt buckle.

“I’m yours, Alec,” she whimpered, yanking at the hem of his underwear.

Before he could steal a single article of her clothing, the whole room rocked from side to side, throwing them off balance.

“Ming-Na!” he cried, grabbing for her hands.

“Alec!”

The lights flickered off and the whole world went black.

 

“Ming-Na?” Alec called.

Ming-Na awoke with a start, her breathing heavy and her heart pounding. She blinked, looking from the shuttlecraft’s dashboard to the concerned Alec. “Did I fall asleep?”

“Mhm. It’s been a long week. I figured I’d let you nap.” Alec shrugged. “Bad dream?”

Ming-Na fretted her lower lip and nodded. “Something like that.”

“We’re almost there. Then we can both get some well-deserved rest and relaxation.”

Two-hundred years and sixty-three days after the first solar sails were deployed around Venus, the Zitellu Colony was ready for its first human inhabitants. Two centuries of effort had nearly cleared the planet’s atmosphere, save for the last long strokes of orange that tinted the dark sky. Enceladus, once Saturn’s moon, blinked behind the licks of flame, punctuated by the thousands of glittering stars that framed her.

Ming-Na Wen watched in awe as the sky disappeared behind Zitellu’s obsidian skyscrapers. The descent from the Valhalla was a long one, requiring a second ship into the heart of the terraformed city. Fellow scientist and friend Alec Serrano piloted their small, two-person craft.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Ming-Na asked. “A fresh start for Venus and for humanity.”

“It is. I just wish we could take down the dome,” Alec replied.

“I promise, every test we’ve run in my department suggests that it’s possible. It’s just—”

“—Safer this way, I know.” Alec finished for her and flashed a disarming smile. “Us coming down here is a good start.”

“Mm,” Ming-Na hummed her agreement. “Someone needs to test all of our work.”

Alec nodded. After a moment’s hesitation, he continued, “Honestly, I’m a little surprised you volunteered.”

Ming-Na turned her attention from the city to Alec. His chestnut hair was tousled and unkempt from countless late nights and early mornings preparing for this day. But his green eyes stayed bright and focused, and the tiny knowing smile that always toyed at the corner of his mouth was still there. “I couldn’t let you have all the fun,” she teased lightly.

“Oh?” Alec’s gaze shifted to the corners of his eyes, capturing her face in the warm glow. “Is that the only reason?”

She looked away, feeling an embarrassed heat rise to her cheeks. The terraforming team was warned far in advance that those who volunteered to relocate inside Zitellu would be the first humans responsible for repopulation. Effective immediately.

“Something like that,” she murmured.

They’d known each other for over a decade, working side-by-side to make Venus inhabitable and Zitellu a reality. Both of their families had generations of hands and minds on the project, from farming practices and implementation to rebalancing oceans and managing a series of small floating colonies. For Ming-Na, living on Venus preoccupied both her waking world and her dreams. Having Alec at her side was a natural part of her daily operations. So, why did her heart race when she looked at him now?

Alec smoothly landed the shuttlecraft at their predetermined destination and switched on the screen nearest him. It flickered to life, and Rose, a seasoned Valhalla dispatcher, appeared.

“Valhalla this is Valkyrie One. We’ve landed in Zitellu,” Alec announced.

She nodded, not a single one of her silver hairs falling out of place. “Nice job, Alec. How’s the weather down there?”

“Temperature is twenty degrees Celsius, Rose. Oxygen is a stable nineteen-point-six percent,” Ming-Na supplied.

“Sounds like paradise to me.” Rose looked down, jotting notes off-screen. “You’re clear for shutdown. Good luck, you two.”

“Thanks, Rose,” Alec replied.

The screen went dark. They set to work deactivating the ship’s systems, an efficient tandem built from years of traveling together. Once they’d finished, Alec moved to free the latch that would open the final wall of defense between them and Zitellu. He paused. It seemed like they were both holding their breath. No one had ever walked into the colony without protective gear.

“Whenever you’re comfortable, Alec,” Ming-Na reassured him. “There’s no rush.”

Alec exhaled, then grinned. “Let’s make history together, Ms. Wen.” With a few quick flicks of his wrist, he released the safeties, and the triple-paned windshield made its slow ascent.

Ming-Na looked to the orange-laced sky and took her first breath on Venus.

The calming, damp aroma of petrichor summoned forgotten memories of her time on Earth as a child before her parents had moved them permanently to the Valhalla. Wearing yellow rain boots and a clear umbrella as she hopped from puddle to puddle, giggling with each splash.

“I didn’t realize how much I’d missed the rain,” Alec said as if reading her thoughts. He closed his eyes and inhaled a deep breath. “Valhalla simulations just aren’t the same.”

“I agree.” Ming-Na stood and reached for the ladder out of the ship. “Ready?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

With one last deep breath, Alec followed her out of the ship and onto the permeable pavement, then locked the hatch closed before they continued. Ming-Na eyed him curiously.

“What?” Alec asked, slipping the ship’s chip into his pocket.

“I’m just surprised. There’s no one around to take it.” Ming-Na shrugged. “Very few workers are stationed in the Observation Tower at night, and they have their own means of transport back to Valhalla.”

Alec grinned, raising his hands to the sides of his head and holding his fingers outstretched like claws. “What if the little green men are waiting? Hiding inside our buildings? This could be the escape they’ve always dreamed of.”

Ming-Na blinked. “You enjoy letting your imagination run off with you, don’t you?”

“Maybe.” He laughed and let his arms rest at his sides. “You joining me here was certainly beyond anything I imagined.”

“I see.” A blush crept from her neck to her cheeks, and she turned to look at their assigned building. Hoping to change the subject, she pointed at the dimly lit structure. “Speaking of which, our new home is in there.”

“Lead on, Ms. Wen.” He bowed, extending an arm like a waiter ready to guide her to a table.

They walked in silence, Ming-Na’s attention divided between the stunning cityscape, the breathtaking sky, and the scent of Alec’s cologne that mingled with the smell of rain. There were a dozen things she wanted to say, and ask, and talk about, but she found it impossible to decide where to begin. She knew so much about him and yet, so little. What did he like in a partner? Had he wanted children before this endeavor, and if so, what was his ideal family size?

“This is it, right?” Alec stopped before a door, raising his hand to a scanner positioned to the left.

Ming-Na looked up. How long had she been trapped in her own thoughts? Shaking her head, she checked the number and moved to scan her hand after Alec’s. “Yes, this is correct.”

“Twenty-ninety-two. Home sweet home.” Alec pressed his hand to the scanner, then stepped aside for Ming-Na to do the same.

“Access granted,” a robotic female voice announced. “Welcome home, Alec Serrano, Ming-Na Wen.”

The doors automatically swung open, and a blast of cool air washed over their faces. Strings of LED lights flickered on as they stepped across the threshold, leading them to a pair of elevators in the lobby. They stepped inside, greeted by calming music and the same robotic voice.

“What floor, please?”

“Fourteen,” Ming-Na replied.

“All the way at the top?” Alec asked, watching the screen that displayed each floor they passed.

“It’s the best view of Zitellu.”

“Is it, now?” Alec’s playful smile returned. “When did you get a sneak peek?”

“Well, it’s what I’ve heard, anyway,” she admitted. “One of my close friends works in residential construction. She insisted on this flat specifically when I told her I’d be migrating down.”

“I look forward to it, then.”

“Floor fourteen. Please watch your step as you exit,” the automaton announced.

“After you.” Alec gestured for her to leave first.

“Such a gentleman,” she noted as she stepped onto the carpet in the long hallway.

“Chivalry is always in style,” he replied, following in her footsteps.

While the Valhalla’s technological achievements were numbered in the hundreds, there was something to be said for simplicity. The hallway was lightly furnished with deep blue carpeting, eggshell walls, and contemporary paintings hung between apartments. It was a short trip to room fourteen-thirty, and Ming-Na’s hand hesitated at the mahogany door’s handle.

This was as monumental a step as their first shared breath in the colony. Once she opened the door, everything was different. They were no longer just business partners and coworkers. For all intents and purposes, they were a romantic couple. Both parties expected and understood it, but she still struggled to say the words aloud. To tell him how she really felt.

“Whenever you’re comfortable, Ming-Na,” Alec murmured, repeating her words from the shuttlecraft.

“Right. My apologies.” She touched the handle and felt the warmth of another scan beneath her hand. There was a soft click as the mechanical lock gave way, and she opened the door.

The lights in the entryway switched on when they stepped inside, then chained into the living room, illuminating black and cedar sofas, a long coffee table, and two recliners. On the far side was a wall of crystalline one-way glass that allowed the apartment’s resident’s an uninhibited vantage of Zitellu.

“Wow.” Alec brushed past Ming-Na, moving passed the furniture and straight to the window. “My compliments to your friend.”

Ming-Na smiled and closed the door. “I will pass them along.” She moved to stand beside Alec. While the panoramic cityscape was unparalleled to anything she’d ever seen on Earth, watching Venus’ kaleidoscope of hues paint Alex’s face and body was enchanting. The pure white moonlight and saffron sky danced in his eyes. Diffused starlight and the deep blues of evening drenched his tunic. “Alec, may I tell you something?”

“Of course. Anything.” Alec locked her eyes.

“You were right. About why I chose this mission.” Ming-Na breathed, willing her pounding heart to slow. “The thought of not seeing you every day, or hearing your laugh, or—” she paused, her blush resurfacing, “—or smelling your cologne. I couldn’t stand it.”

Alec nodded, searching her face. “You know how long I’ve wanted to hear you say that?”

Ming-Na smiled in relief. “We arrived twenty-four minutes ago. So, twenty-five minutes?”

He laughed, circling his arms around her waist before touching his forehead to hers. “Give me more credit than that. I’ve waited for at least an hour.”

Ming-Na tilted her chin upward and kissed him. Alec’s warm lips welcomed her as readily as his embrace, and he moved one hand to cradle the back of her head. She breathed him in as his tongue slipped inside her mouth, exploring with passionate care. He tasted like spearmint and rain. Like home.

Without breaking their kiss, she slid the jacket from his shoulders before working at the buttons on his shirt. Even with the thin layer of fabric between his chest and her fingers, she could feel the heat of his skin and the fast beating of his heart.

For years she’d imagined holding Alec close, feeling his mouth claim hers, letting her fingertips wander the muscular lines of his abdomen. Her dreams with him grew more desperate and fevered every night. None of her fantasies had come close to the real thing. She pushed his shirt away, memorizing the map of his skin—every scar and freckle a treasure for her to find.

Alec reached for the hem of Ming-Na’s shirt. She broke her kiss just long enough for him to pull it over her head and add it to the growing pile of clothing beside them.

“Should we go to our room?” Alec asked, breathless.

“I don’t think it has a view as nice as this one,” Ming-Na said, fingering the button of his trousers.

“So long as you’re in there with me, it will.” He brushed his thumb along her jawline.

A dozen emotions whirled in her chest as she took his hand and guided him to the bedroom. Excitement, hesitation, disbelief, anticipation. Just their short walk to the bedroom seemed like an eternity before her mouth found his again.

She undid the fastening on his pants and let them fall to the floor, praying she wouldn’t wake from another dream. He reciprocated, and their underthings were soon to follow. Goosebumps prickled on her skin with every brush of his. They stole a moment to admire each other’s bodies in the moonlight before Ming-Na stepped forward and let her hands trail down his waist. The longer their lingering embrace, the more her heart ached in his absence.

Alec guided her backward until her thighs bumped the bed’s footboard. She allowed him to lay her on the bed before moving above her.

“You’re beautiful, Ming-Na,” he murmured, brushing a few errant strands of hair away from her face.

“Do you know how long I’ve waited to hear that?” Ming-Na whispered, a slow smile curling her lips.

“At least an hour.” He chuckled, kissing her forehead, then the tip of her nose, then her chin. His mouth followed along the lines of her throat, caressing her collarbone and shoulder, and kissing the tops of her breasts.

Ming-Na gasped, relishing in Alec’s tender discovery of her flesh. He repositioned himself between her legs and aligned his hips with hers. She watched his face as he slowly united their bodies, drinking in his pleasure like her own. When he began to move inside her, her breath caught in her throat, and her back arched with pleasure.

“Alec,” she moaned his name and wrapped her arms around his neck. “You feel fantastic.”

The gentle intimacy they shared was sweet and perfect. It made her light-headed, and her toes curl. His ragged breathing blended with her soft moans. She crossed her legs around his back, tilting her hips upward and crying out when he collided with the edge of her depths.

A thin sheen of sweat glistened on his chest and dripped down her back. She rolled to the side, pinning him beneath her and setting her own rhythm. Alec leaned his head against the pillow, watching her with a carnal hunger.

“I could get used to this.” He touched her chest, then let his hand drift to her navel.

She hummed her reply, resting her hands on his stomach and then rocking her hips against his. Her head lulled back in ecstasy as she let her latent desires take control. The air in the room was sweltering, thick with their gasps and groans. His touch, his voice, their bodies entwined; Alec felt like her perfect match.

Ming-Na never wanted to let him go.

With every rhythmic rotation, Alec’s body tensed. His hands rested on her thighs, fingertips pressing into her skin with need.

“I’m close,” he murmured.

She bent forward and whispered against his mouth, “Then come with me.”

“Are you sure?” His breathing was hot and fast on her lips.

“Mhm.” She wanted to feel him. All of him.

His grip tightened, and he bucked into her. Their movements grew faster, more desperate. Her name escaped his lips as he climaxed, pulling her over the edge with him. A delicious shiver soared down her spine, and the tiny hairs on her arms stood on end. She hardly recognized the rapturous sounds that tore from her throat, and her thrusts took on a consciousness of their own.

 Alec’s kiss deepened as their bodies pulsed in time, both of their momentums slowing to a halt. Neither dared drew away from their embrace, fingers lingering on flesh, breaths stolen from the other’s lips. Their tensions relaxed and Ming-Na slowly drew away from him, shifting to his side while leaving her arms curled around his waist. He swept an arm beneath her neck, and she tucked her head under his chin.

“You know,” Alec said, stroking her hair. “I would argue the view in here is better than the living room.”

Ming-Na grinned. “Is that so?”

“It is. Though, we can admire it every so often from the couch, too. The view of Venus, I mean.” Alec kissed the top of her head. “So, now that we’ve checked this off the to-do list, what’s next?”

“Usually, I would have asked for dinner first. And a tour,” Ming-Na replied. “We’re a little out of order, but I think it’s all right. Considering the circumstances.”

“A tour and dinner. It’s a date, then.” Alec wrapped his arms around her, holding her in a tight embrace. “I just want to stay this way for a little longer.”

Ming-Na nuzzled against him. “Me, too.”

Venus was theirs now, and Alec was hers.