As soon as Kibum and Jinki received the contract later that same day, they started poring over it with a desperate intensity. Kibum was suspicious but a part of him really wanted to take it at face value. As for Jinki, he was hopeful; it could be the answer they were looking for and he was just afraid Kibum wouldn’t give it a chance.

                They spent days reading and rereading the lines and clauses and fine print and everything related to them. Jinki asked Taemin to look up the terms and regulations they weren’t familiar with and made copious notes and comments to consider for later or potentially ask Psitassi when they saw her again. There would definitely be an again, but how it ended up remained to be seen.

                At Jinki’s urging, they sent a copy to Eric so the more experienced Varium could take a look at it and perhaps field it to the right people if something caught his attention. Kibum was fine with Mr. and Mrs. Lee weighing in too, but neither of them were the most versed in the legal field. And as much as Doyun was getting into that area of expertise, she had only a cursory understanding of the finer points of contracts and legalities.

                “Give me a few more years and I can be your legal representative for sure!” she promised him with a bright grin, holding her pinky out. “Until then… I’m not the one to ask,” she admitted with an apologetic smile.

                Hajoon probably knew people that could give additional insight, but Kibum and Jinki both felt she’d helped a great deal already. Neither were inclined to try and ask her to help them tip the scales in their favor again. Besides, she was busy in a different dome and sometimes traveling between planets as well for matches and training at this point.

                On the other hand, they did know some people locally that could maybe bring a fair second opinion to the table. And since it was written by a Moladhi – or several Moladhis, Kibum also figured it would be a good idea to get an actual Moladhi to look at it. Worst case scenario, it was a great excuse to visit Passeri, Jackson, and the chicklets.

                “Oh! Look at them!” Kibum cooed as he fawned over the twins when they finally managed to set up a time to meet with Passeri. “They’re getting so big!”

                Passeri laughed daintily as she nodded and gestured for Kibum and Jinki to have a seat. “Citrea has been eating better lately,” she explained, gesturing at her daughter with similar gray and yellow markings like her mother, but also grayish-blue feathers up and down her arms. “Leio has never had such a problem so he’s doing fine as well,” she preened, gesturing at her son whose coloration featured a gray head and yellow feathers extending down most of his body. He was more noticeable due to the white rings around his eyes too. Neither looked much like Jackson yet but apparently it could take time for that kind of genetic splicing to mature, if at all.

                “I swear, the last time we saw them, they were this big,” Jinki laughed, holding his hands apart so that only a Moladhi-sized egg would fit between them.

                “A sign you should come by more often, no?” she gently teased in response, reaching out to brush the backs of her fingers against Kibum’s cheek when they noticed him look down. He opened his mouth to say something but she shook her head with an understanding smile. “We each have our own challenges to face. I wanted this,” she mentioned, nodding at her children, “but it is demanding.”

                “Is that why Jackson isn’t here right now?” Jinki wondered, moving close to sit next to Kibum as he played with the chicklets. They were just over a year old now but most of their vocalizations were chirps and half-formed words. The universal translator wasn’t able to pick up on them yet since they were still learning Moladhi so it all sounded like gibberish but it was adorable.

                “In part,” she agreed with a nod. “We’ve been taking turns at The Stars Align. Parenthood is a wonderful thing but it does require a fair bit of funds.” Her expression was amused as she looked at her children again. They noticed her attention for a second and literally beamed up at her, beaked mouths opening with a delighted caw of sound emerging as they waved at her with awkward limbs, all gangly grace. “You just ate, you little gluttons,” she clucked, reaching down to caress their heads with one hand each. Her attention shifted back to her guests and she offered, “Should I move them to the other room? I know they can be a bit distracting.”

                Kibum made a noise in the back of his throat and shook his head. “It’s fine,” he promised her, tickling at their feathers to catch their attention so they’d look at him again. At this age, additional coverings were entirely optional but they did have little blankets nearby in case they got cold. The room was warm though so they were unbothered as careful small beaks nibbled at Kibum’s hands. He positively beamed at the sensation.

                Jinki felt his heart melt all over again at the expression. It had been a while since he’d seen such a smile on Kibum’s face. That alone was worth the visit. Quietly, he slipped an arm around Kibum’s waist and held him in a gentle embrace. The look he got in return would have made him cross the entire universe if he had to just to see it again. “Happy?” he asked, already knowing the answer but wanting to hear it for himself.

                “Very,” Kibum whispered in response, leaning into Jinki’s chest as he kept playing with Citrea and Leio.

                Soft fingertips patting the back of Jinki’s head made him look over at Passeri. Her motherly approving smile was also validating in a different way than his own mother’s was. She didn’t say anything but it was obvious she was grateful. For what, he didn’t entirely know, though he could make some educated guesses. And although she could have brought up the contract much sooner, Passeri chose not to initially. She retrieved refreshments and offered snacks, letting Kibum sneak tidbits to the little ones while she pretended not to look.

                Only when the twins started getting fussy from needing to sleep did she intervene. “Okay you two. Nap time,” she soothed, reaching down to pick up the chicklets and cradle them against her body as she wandered off to their room to set them down. She returned shortly with a tired but satisfied look on her face as she gracefully collapsed on the floor beside them, lounging against the chair nearby for support.

                “Are you okay?” Jinki asked with a concerned chuckle.

                Passeri nodded in mute response. “Just catching my breath,” she added with a wink, letting her attention settle on Kibum at last. “And as for you, chicklet,” she said, waiting for him to look at her first. “I took a look at the contract you sent me. Pretty straightforward for a Moladhi contract,” she mused with a shrug. “But I didn’t see anything to be truly concerned about.”

                “So there’s nothing unusual about it?” Kibum pressed, a skeptical look in his eyes.

                The Moladhi laughed and waved her hand in front of her face. “For a Terran perhaps. For a Moladhi, not at all. It’s almost certain she has an ulterior motive in requesting the ‘first voluntary rights to intergalactic finds of the physical and / or intellectual nature’ but I don’t believe there’s anything nefarious or malicious behind it.”

                “What about the medical android?” Jinki wondered. Having read the contract himself, he had thought it odd the android had been included, but considering it was part of the deal, it did make a certain amount of sense. It had just seemed wordy at the time.

                “Oh. There’s definitely something there too,” Passeri conceded with another nod. She tapped her beak and sighed. “I don’t know what exactly but I imagine she suspects there’s something in his programming to make further investigation worthwhile. Considering her position, it makes sense she can’t keep him around her like she might prefer. A Moladhi android perhaps, but a Terran one… that would be frowned upon in the circles she now travels in,” she explained with an annoyed gesture.

                “Even though it’s a medical android?” Kibum wondered, one brow raised.

                Passeri laughed once. “For Terrans. The bigger problem is the previous program he was operating under: companion bot. For a married Moladhi of her stature, that’s especially problematic,” she explained, eyes wide as she shook her head at the implications. “I can’t say I’m not curious how that might affect your own situation, if your reactions to that title are any indication,” she mused with a far too perceptive gaze.

                Kibum shifted uncomfortably beside Jinki and he had to do his level best not to do the same. They’d had that conversation already and it had been slightly… awkward but good in the end. “He is attractive,” Jinki confirmed with a small grimace. “Not that this is a bad thing if he’s actually good at the medical side of things like we hope.”

                “We’re just worried about his ‘most recent protocol’ tendencies…” Kibum trailed off with a snort. “As Ercite would have said, he’s pretty much a Casanova.”

                Passeri tilted her head in some confusion. “I do not know the name but I’m pretty sure I understand what you mean.”

                “We had to look it up too,” Jinki said with a reassuring nod.

                She smiled in response. “All things considered, it does seem like a worthwhile contract. Minus the lack of a time frame under which she would be able to continue to claim voluntary rights to all the things you find. I’d ask about that…” she stated firmly, tapping her finger on the table in front of her. “And what she hopes to gain if something about Ming’s possible nature does come to light.”

                “Eric said as much too,” Jinki confirmed with a shrug.

                “Oh. Have another expert, do you?” she teased in response, clearly joking.

                Kibum made a face. “Well, when you know a two-hundred-year-old Varium who’s been around…”

                Passeri flinched and placed her hand against her . “I forgot your foster father was that old. Definitely more the expert than I,” she admitted, thoroughly amused.

                “It might have been nice to ask Cyanite too,” Jinki added, nudging Kibum’s shoulder with his.

                “Yeah,” he agreed after a very long pause. “They’re just not the same, you know?” he whispered, looking up at Passeri and Jinki as if he was seeking validation or understanding.

                “How is Cyanite doing?” Passeri asked, sidestepping the question entirely.

                It was done with such a sincere sound that it worked to distract Kibum and he smiled faintly. “Well so far as I can tell.”

                Passeri sniffed at the brief answer and then looked around the room as if something was missing. “I’ve also heard of another companion you usually have with you of late. Where is he?”

                You mean me? Taemin asked, suddenly popping into view when the opportunity presented itself.

                “Galaxies!” Passeri laughed upon seeing the holo image appear before her in all his young Terran glory. He still had the bowl cut of hair and baggier than necessary clothing but he was all smiles when he popped into visual existence.

                “Taeminnie,” Kibum chided with no heat.

                “So you’re the AI that was snooping around not that long ago,” Passeri giggled, tracing the outline of his face with her fingertips like she was trying to etch him into her memory.

                I wasn’t snooping on you, he corrected innocently, looking at Jinki and Kibum as if he’d been caught doing something wrong.

                They all laughed at his response and the Moladhi nodded. “Not on me, no. But I did hear about some of your adventures. Especially how you’re the one responsible for the contract we’re considering now,” she reminded him with a finger pointing at his nose.

                Yeah…

                “It’s pretty good though. I think we’ve almost decided, haven’t we, love?” Jinki encouraged, nudging Kibum in the shoulder again as he looked at him with a sideways glance.

                Kibum ducked his head and took a long slow breath. Eventually, he looked up and gave a small nod. “I guess we have, haven’t we? But we still have to figure out how to get the rest of the ship-”

                It’ll be easier when we have a crew assembled, Taemin reminded him brightly.

                “He’s right, you know,” Jinki followed up. “The Hub will be much more hospitable when we can say we’re ready. We just need the finished ship to make it happen.”

                For a moment, Kibum struggled with something, his face crumpling as he pursed his lips and clenched his hands in his lap. Jinki reached out to cover them with his hand, giving a light squeeze as he looked at Kibum’s face with gentle encouragement. “What if we-” he started to say before stopping, looking down again. “What if I can’t do it?” he whispered, tension writ taut in his face.

                “Kibum,” Jinki sighed at the same time Passeri murmured, “Chicklet.” They looked at each other with sympathetic smiles and he nodded.

                She took it as permission to continue and reached out to press her fingertips to his closest knee. “Do you remember when you first started performing at The Stars Align?”

                A laugh whistled through his nose and he couldn’t quite hide the smile that tugged at his lips. “Kind of hard to forget.”

                “You knew you loved the spotlight but you were so awkward on the stage, weren’t you?” she pressed, amusement woven into her tone.

                His smile widened and he actually laughed aloud then. “Yeah. I kept falling and sliding off the pole and tumbling with those damn boots,” he admitted, wiping at the corner of his eye in reaction.

                “Do you remember what you asked me back then?”

                Kibum stilled and his expression turned neutral. After a moment, he his lips and nodded. “What if I can’t do it?” He swallowed hard and sniffed once.

                “And what was my answer?” she asked, gently prodding as she rested her hand firmer on his knee.

                Jinki watched as Kibum looked up from under his bangs to make direct eye contact with Passeri. “You told me-” He had to pause to swallow again and take another breath. “You told me only I could decide if I could do it or not.”

                Passeri looked at Jinki quickly and then back at Kibum. “And what did you do?”

                He sniffed and laughed breathily, a raw quiet sound. “I did it,” he croaked, wiping at the corner of his eye again.

                She reached out to wipe a tear from his cheek with the back of her finger and smiled warmly. “Whatever you decide to do, chicklet. We’ll still love you and be here for you,” she promised, shifting her hand to cup his cheek in her palm.

                “Exactly,” Jinki agreed, leaning close to press a kiss against the side of Kibum’s head.

                For a moment, Kibum ducked his head to cover his face with both hands. His shoulders jumped once as he hiccupped quietly. Then he took a quick breath and wiped at his face quickly with one hand. “I’m such an idiot,” he mumbled with a forced laugh, wiping at his eyes again when the tears wouldn’t stop.

                “Oh love,” Jinki murmured, reaching out to pull Kibum close as he tucked the other man’s head under his chin and held him tight. In his periphery, Taemin looked lost and confused. Fortunately, Passeri was there and she gestured for the AI to have a seat while she quietly explained Terran emotions as best she could.

                It took Kibum several moments to compose himself. Jinki just held him, rocking them both back and forth gently while Passeri talked with Taemin. Eventually though, Kibum grabbed Jinki’s hand and held tight as he took a deep but shaky breath. “I don’t know that I can say I’ll do it right now,” he whispered, voice low and muffled since he was talking into Jinki’s chest. “But is it okay to say that I want to try?” he asked hesitantly, turning his head so that his voice was loud and clear.

                Jinki smiled brightly and kissed the top of Kibum’s head, giving him a squeeze. “Of course, love. We can definitely try,” he promised, kissing the top of his head again.

                And this time you’ll have me and Jonghyun and Ming too! Taemin chimed in excitedly, full of youthful exuberance.

                Kibum snorted once and looked at the AI. “We don’t even know what they’re going to be like.”

                Taemin shrugged and responded, Then you’ll still have me at least. He smiled and framed his face with both hands, placing his chin in his palms like he was imitating a flower.

                This brought a laugh to Kibum and Jinki and even Passeri grinned at the gesture. She reached out to smooth Kibum’s hair down on one side and touch his cheek with her fingers once more. “You’ve got this, chicklet. Whatever you decide,” she added with a quick wink.

                Kibum smiled and took another breath before he finally pushed himself into a sitting position. He looked at the various people around him, bit his bottom lip like he was going to cry again, and then nodded firmly. “I guess we should let Psitassi know then, shouldn’t we?” he asked, voice tight as he fought back tears.

                I can do it! Taemin volunteered quickly, raising his hand as he spoke.

                “Alright, Taeminnie,” he sniffed, giving him a permissive nod. “Go ahead and set something up.”

                Jinki grabbed one of Kibum’s hands in both of his and cradled it between his palms. “Good job, love.”

                Kibum looked like he was going to say something for a second. Then he frowned with pursed lips. And finally, he forced his face to relax and offered a tentative smile. “I’m trying,” he admitted, swallowing hard and staring at Jinki as if he desperately needed a positive answer.

                Jinki was more than happy to provide it. “You’re doing great,” he promised, leaning close enough to kiss Kibum’s forehead tenderly.

                “So are you, love,” Kibum responded, turning his head up enough to give Jinki a quick kiss on the lips before hugging him tightly around the shoulders.

                They like practicing like that, Taemin whispered conspiratorially to Passeri who just smiled at his words.

                And honestly, Jinki didn’t know if Taemin was still saying that because he was stuck on that point or because he knew it would make Kibum laugh. Because it did. Kibum laughed and ducked his head against Jinki’s neck, hugging tighter as he did so. He was personally leaning towards the second option, but either way, he was happy in that moment. Jinki did know that Kibum had been making progress with his therapist – the conversation they were able to have today was proof of that, but there were some things one needed to hear from certain people at the right time. It hurt a little bit that he knew he didn’t always count because he was too close, too biased, but as long as it worked out in the end, he would be okay with that.

                Because at least it meant that Kibum was healing too. And if Kibum could finish healing or at least keep doing so, then so could Jinki.

 

(a/n: This one is definitely shorter than my norm and I probably could have added a bit more after this scene but it felt better to end it here for me. Maybe you agree or not but I'd be interested in hearing one way or the other. haha Thank you for reading and I hope you look forward to the next update!)