“As you grow closer it is natural to begin acting as a team, seeing your bondmates goals as your own, him seeing your goals as his. The most successful bondmates work as a team and seek to utilize the other’s strengths as their own.”

-Finding Your Inner Goddess: A Guide to Romancing Earth Males

“Interesting info,” Charlie muttered, his golden eyes gleaming as he studied his cocktail glass. He leaned over the bar, taking a sip of his drink as his Stelan mate, Drayla, loomed over the pair of humans. “So you saw Starla Velaryon’s human at the Old Kingdom’s propaganda office?”

Not sure how else to contact Charlie, Steven had simply gone to the club where he and Drayla apparently moonlighted as security. The daytime crowd was non-existent, and his old comrade had welcomed him in with a free drink from the bar’s top shelf, meanwhile Drayla had taken a spot behind the bar, serving them and listening intently.

“That’s right,” Steven said with a nod, “it was definitely Miguel… and that guy is not the cute little pet he’s pretending to be for her corporate friends.”

“There’s no significant records of him before he bonded with Starla Velaryon,” Drayla said with a frown, “it seems as though he was a normal man of Earth until he met her during one of her trips to this planet.”

“No significant records?” Steven asked, raising an eyebrow, “Tell you what, look up whether or not he’s ever had a streaming service.”

Drayla frowned, “I don’t see what that has to do-“

“You can get that info in five seconds doll,” Charlie chuckled up at the towering golden women.

Drayla huffed, but pulled a tablet form her belt. She typed a password in, and the logo of Stelan Interplanetary Intelligence appeared. Her golden fingers danced across the screen, and a moment later information from various human and Stelan entertainment companies was accessible.

“No accounts with any entertainment services,” Drayla said, “I fail to see th-“

“Everything about him was deleted,” Steven said grimly, “then they made a quick fake digital footprint for him, crossed all the t’s dotted all the i’s. The thing is you can’t make a person’s entire life like that, they forget to make the little things, gym memberships, shopper cards… Do another check, see if there’s any record of food deliveries for him. I’m guessing a Stelan did it, because if it was an Earth intel agency they’d have the sense to add a few black marks on the record, an arrest for vandalism, a repossessed car, things like that.”

“None,” Drayla said, “but that hardly proves-“

“He’s right,” Charlie said with a small smile, “Someone wiped everything about our friend Miguel, and I’m guessing that a wealthy and connected Stelan executive like Starla could make that happen.”

“Why bother covering a male’s tracks?” Drayla asked with a frown.

“After all we’ve been through do you really have to wonder that?” Charlie chuckled. “Most Stelans don’t take males that seriously, of course she figured she could send her human bondmate to go meet with the Old Kingdom on her behalf.” He turned to the towering Stelan and smirked, “Even though he’s bonded to her, I’m guessing Interplanetary Intel didn’t think it was worth tracking him or even finding out who he was, am I right?”

Drayla blushed, “I suppose that’s true, there weren’t any flags raised regarding that particular monitoring operation… So yes, he must have slipped through the cracks.”

“Is there anything else you need from me?” Steven asked, setting his cocktail back on the coaster.

“Yeah, start looking for someone in your office that might be working with her,” Charlie said, “I’m guessing Starla won’t want to get her own hands dirty, she’ll want someone who will have direct access to the drone production line.”

“I’m not sure if anyone in our office qualifies,” Steven said, “but I’ll keep an eye out.”

“Another thing, did you loop your girlfriend in on this?” Charlie asked.

Steven froze, “She knows what I’m looking for,” he said, fighting to keep his voice level, “but I won’t get her involved.”

“Steven,” Charlie said, pausing a moment as he exchanged a knowing glance with Drayla, “this isn’t like the guys who just didn’t talk to their wives and girlfriends about what we did in the Agency. If you’ve got a Stelan girl she’s going to be involved in this if you two care about each other at all.”

“I’m going to distance myself a bit,” Steven said defensively, “Honestly I’ve been trying to slow down this whole bonding thing anyways.”

“Oh boy,” Charlie muttered, “Steven…” he glanced at Drayla, as if hoping she’d say something, but she refused, crossing her arms and remaining silent. Charlie sighed, “Look man, I get that you’re mister loner, mister island, but if you’re bonding with this girl at all, that means you care about her too.”

“I do,” Steven said, “that’s why I’ve got to-“

“Steven,” Charlie said, “Is this maybe just something you’re using as an excuse?” He jerked a thumb at Drayla, “I get worrying about people, but the twenty foot alien girls are a hell of a lot more durable than we mere men are.”

“Allura’s not a soldier like her,” he said, glancing up at Drayla, “or us.” He got up from the bar, walking to the end where the small human sized lift would take him down to the floor.

…

“Do you want to get lunch somewhere?” Allura asked Steven cheerily as she peered down at his desk.

“No,” he said flatly, “I’m going to use my lunch hour to go get a few things done.”

Allura frowned, where she’d been able to pick up his emotions easily before, over the last week her sensation of him had dulled, as if he were deliberately holding back. He’d been leaving earlier too, and hadn’t come home with her all week…

Why? She wondered, but with a sigh she just got up, heading out the door to get her own meal. Does he think we’re going too fast? She’d been sure Steven had, on some level, decided to bond with her, but now…

Steven could dimly feel the disappointment coming off her as she boarded the elevator and left the building, and he sighed, lowering his mental defenses. He stared at his computer screen, not seeing anything displayed on it as his conflicted emotions battled it out.

Is Charlie right? Is this whole spy thing just an excuse? He spun his office chair to look out the window at the city, the shimmering silver hovercraft and skyscrapers catching the midday sun like a bed of pearls. Allura, he sighed, feeling empty. He’d missed her more than he’d expected over the last week, he’d had girlfriends before, but he’d never felt this sort of longing for one. It’s the bonding thing, he reassured himself, it’s the weird chemicals and magnetic signals in your brain, she’s just the same as any of the other girls you were with over the years… But was it? It occurred to him that he didn’t have any idea what a serious relationship felt like, and his brow furrowed as he pondered the question.

“Steven!” Caridia barked, startling him out of his thoughts.

“Yes?” he said, clearing his throat as he spun around in his chair. He glanced up at Caridia, who was coolly looking down at him.

“I’m going to be visiting Voidsearcher’s headquarters in the city today,” She said, “if we must use them, I’ll be personally overseeing their operations to make sure we’re getting everything we need out them…” She smirked, “I’d like you to accompany me, unless you and Allura have some pressing matters to deal with this afternoon?”

“No,” he said quickly, stepping out from behind his desk, “Let’s go.”

…

Caridia stared at him silently from across the transport vehicle, a rented one that Caridia had used the corporate card to pay for. She casually dangled her heeled shoe from her foot as she crossed her legs, looking down at him in his human sized seat.

“What is going on with you and Allura?” she said finally.

“Nothing,” Stevan said quickly.

“Hmm…” Caridia cocked an eyebrow, “I’m not sure what she’s done to upset you,” Caridia said, leaning over him with a grin, “But I think this is a good opportunity, for both of us.”

Steven gulped, “What do you mean?”

“I think you and Allura are drifting apart because she’s simply not woman enough for you,” Caridia chuckled, “I was right that first day, you want someone a little rougher.” She leaned down, her smile momentarily softening, “This is my last chance to have a real shot at you I think, so I’m making my play.” She lowered her ring down to him, clicking the dials as she adjusted the shrink ray.

Steven’s world blurred, and soon he was looking up at a now gargantuan Stelan, one who was leaning down eagerly to pinch him up in a pair of fingertips larger than his entire body. The soft pads enveloped him, almost drowning out the light as he was squeezed tight enough to make him grunt. Caridia’s car sized eyes glared down at him in amusement, and she slowly brought him down to a small sliver bracelet on her wrist. There were a series of clicks as he approached it, and like most Stelan jewelry it seemed to automatically reach out and clasp him into place, spread eagle on the surface of a small silver charm.

“You make a lovely piece Steven,” she purred, her warm breath washing over him as she admired her wrist. “Let’s see if we can impress these people.”

Voidsearcher’s New York offices were in the bottom floor of an office building abutting a large warehouse complex. As she entered a bored looking Stelan woman in a security uniform glanced up from a newspaper, then went back to reading. The lobby was nothing like the sleek and shining one at the Central Robotics office, here a plain and ugly wallpaper lined the walls, with simple steel and plastic furniture arrayed against the wall in human and Stelan sizes.

“Ah, you must be Caridia!” a dark haired Stelan with a short bob cut said, her heels clacking as she walked across the lobby to greet them. “I’m Myla, head of Earth operations! I understand your company needs goods for some big project?”

“Indeed,” Caridia said with a polite smile, “I do believe I sent over a dossier on everything we would need…”

Myla’s smile faltered, “Yeah well uh, it must have gotten lost in our email system or something. I have a human as an assistant right now, super cute guy, but a little bit of a ditz, you know how males are.” She eyed the bracelet where Steven was being held captive, “Oh, that’s nice one there,” she chuckled, “Mind if I see?”

Steven’s world shook and the chains of the bracelet clinked together as Caridia pulled her wrist sharply away from the other Stelan, “I think we should just get right to business,” Caridia sighed, “Take me to your warehouse immediately, I want to see your stocks.”

“Sure thing,” Myla said, nodding and leading her through the office, “We refine most of our material at our orbital factory, then ship it down here as needed.”

“A lot of the human companies are producing anti-grav alloy on the surface,” Caridia said mildly.

Myla scoffed, “Well yeah, they’re humans, they probably don’t even have orbital stations…”

The inspection of the warehouses was uneventful, and despite Caridia’s expectations everything seemed to be in order. Steven watched silently from his spot dangling on Caridia’s wristband, trying to pick up any details he could that might help later. If he was reduced to a piece of jewelry for the trip, he’d take advantage of the Stelan disregard for him, he decided.

Finally Caridia was done, and with a polite farewell, she returned to the hovercar. Engaging the autodrive, she fell back into the seat with a sigh, unclipping her bracelet and holding Steven dangling in front of her.

“Well?” she smirked, “Did you pick up anything useful? And speak up, you’re hard to hear at that size.”

“About one third of their ingots had a weird discoloration on them,” Steven shouted.

Caridia frowned, “Damn, perhaps they’re cutting it with something? I don’t know what that could mean, I’d have to ask someone in engineering…”

“Their security is shit!” Steven continued, “Their guard in the front wasn’t paying attention, and half their security cameras weren’t on.”

Caridia nodded, “Astute, those are the kinds of things I’d miss…” She huffed, studying him for a moment and almost making him uncomfortable. “You’ve certainly changed my opinion of what a male can be,” she said finally, “I thought it wasn’t fair that Allura got you before I realized just how valuable you are…”

“Thanks,” Steven said uncertainly.

She smirked as thoughts of him sliding to the toe of her shoes filled his mind. He imagined those gargantuan toes scrunching over him, bathing him in the grimy foot sweat as she casually walked back into the office. Part of him wanted that, and it was enough that he wasn’t able to raise a mental defense against her like had in the past.

Caridia slowly slid her pumps off, wiggling her bare toes in the air and letting the slightly vinegary odor waft up to his bracelet-prison. She lowered it, dangling it over the open pit of her shoe, the soft insole a vast plain below him as the slight swaying of her hand sent him back and forth over it like a pendulum. There was a final smug chuckle, and then the bracelet released, sending him falling what was, to him, hundreds of feet through the air.

He shouted in surprise, flailing wildly as his mind raced, you can’t get hurt by falling at this size, he reassured himself, indeed Allura had dropped him from higher places regularly, but he still grunted at the impact on her padded insole.

The smell hit him immediately, the pungent swampy air seemed to swirl around him, embracing him and pulling him into his new home. Caridia’s feet had a sharper smell than Allura’s, one that seemed to lance right up his nostrils and make him feel weaker, overpowered. He staggered to his feet, stumbling down the vast plain of the insole, pausing as a shadow fell over him.

“I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time,” Caridia said with a pleased sighe, “And I think you’ve been wanting it too.” Time seemed to slow as her foot descended, her toes flexing excitedly, like the talons of a hawk about to grab fleeing prey. Steven turned and ran, desperate to reach the toe of the shoe, but Caridia wasn’t so merciful as Allura was, and the massive sole entered the opening of the shoe, the soft wrinkled surface crashing into him like a meteor and pinning his face into the insole’s musty and yielding surface.

Caridia casually pushed her foot the rest of the way in, well aware that her human coworker was now pinned directly under the center of her foot. She tapped it on the carpet of the hovercar, fighting a smile as she imagined how that would shake her prisoner’s world.

She slid out of the car as it pulled in front of their office, and a moment later the rental zoomed off, the onboard AI taking it to the next fare. Each footstep was an earthquake for Steven, bringing the skyscraper sized woman’s whole weight down on his body like the world’s most powerful hug. The smell was so intense that it was all he could think about as it marinated through his clothes, soaking his skin, his hair, and stinging his lips with the earthy saltiness.

Caridia practically glowed as she felt the mix of humiliation and arousal from her prisoner, and she couldn’t help but put her shoe down a little harder on the tile, the long loud *clack* echoing through the office to announce her arrival.

The Stelan’s sense of dominance and power radiated down to him, making him feel even smaller, more insignificant than he already was. Where Allura always wanted him to know he was within her power, Caridia’s thoughts were downright brutal, a mental assault that found him fighting to flip himself over and kiss her soles.

He grunted as her next step increased the pressure, the loud “clack” of her heels echoing even through the leather of her shoes as each step pounded him from all sides. He let out sudden cry of surprise as her steps began to truly weigh on his shrunken form, the pressure going from merely omnipresent to painful. His ribs creaked, and for a moment he wondered if they would break.

Stop this! He thought, trying to signal to Caridia that he wanted out. He filled his mind with negativity, sending every possible signal he could over their tenuous mental link to take her shoe off and release him.

Caridia paused, sensing the doubt and reluctance, “No,” she growled under her breath, “you… You do want this,” she assured herself. She took another few steps, almost wincing under Steven’s mental counterattack. Finally she sighed, lightening her steps as she made it to the elevator.

She slipped her shoe off, letting Steven gasp for air as the mountainous alien woman bent down, pinching his ant sized body to retrieve him. There was a sticking sound as he was peeled off her insole, dangling limply from her fingers. Caridia bit her lip, a sudden sense of guilt coming over her before she adjusted her ring, returning him to his full size in a flash.

“Steven?” she asked quietly, cradling him in her arms, “Are you…”

“Don’t do that again,” he muttered, sliding out of her grip. She stepped back as he landed, almost catlike, on the elevator floor.

“I’m sorry!” Caridia stammered, “I thought… I thought you wanted someone to be rougher with you, that’s what males want! A woman who can bring them to heel!”

“That doesn’t mean I want to be shoved into your shoe and stomped into paste!” Steven said angrily.

The elevator door opened, and the pair started as a fuming Allura stood over them, “Caridia,” she said in a low voice, “Why was Steven distressed just now?”

Caridia gulped, backing into the corner as Allura entered the elevator, driving her into the corner as she moved between the other Stelan and Steven.

“Allura,” Steven sighed, “We… There was a misunderstanding.”

Caridia and Allura froze, looking down at him, “A misunderstanding?” Allura growled.

“Yes,” Steven said firmly, staring Allura down. “Please don’t hurt her.”

Allura huffed, then leaned down, picking Steven up and carrying him through the office angrily, leaving a terrified and bewildered Caridia behind them. She mouthed a silent “thanks” as he glanced back over Allura’s shoulder, and he sighed, sinking into Allura’s grip.

“We should go home early today,” Allura said softly, “I want you to come home with me, I want you to tell me why you’ve been avoiding me.”

“Yeah,” Steven said, “Okay…”

…

Steven lay across Allura’s chest in her bed, her massive breasts rising on either side of his head like a lover’s embrace, warming him and relaxing him as he sank into her embrace.

“I just didn’t want you to get caught up in the same kinds of things I did,” he began, “I didn’t want you to get hurt.”

“Steven,” Allura sighed, “I don’t care how dangerous being with you is… I still want it, and you can’t just push me away.” She hugged him tighter, “this is the last time you’ll be doing this anyway, right?”

“I’ve thought that before,” he grumbled.

“Did you have someone special to you that got hurt?” She asked.

“Someone special to me? No,” Steven muttered, “I’ve seen it happen though, it was part of why I left in the first place.”

“Why did you leave?” Allura asked, shifting up. “That’s the one thing I still haven’t gotten a sure answer on. Something happened, didn’t it? Something with Charlie?”

“Oh, he was there,” Steven grumbled. “Look, Allura, it’s been a rough day, I don’t think I can revisit that one now, can we just relax?”

“I do want to hear that story someday,” Allura said, shifting over him, “but… yes, let’s just enjoy ourselves for now.”

She rolled him over, grinning as she slowly pushed him down, sliding his naked body along hers until he reached the point between her massive thighs where her wet slit waited for him. Her hand cupped around the back of his head, gently, but firmly pressing him into her womanhood. Steven took the message, and began eagerly lapping at her folds, causing the titanic woman to writhe and moan.

Oh no you don’t, he held up his arms, blocking her thighs from crossing over him. He dove into her with increased gusto, his arms shaking as he struggled to hold thighs as thick as his torso from crossing over him and trapping him.

“Oh goddess,” Allura breathed, arching her back as her muscles spasmed up and down her body like jolts of lightning. She whined as she tried to close her legs over the man licking at her slit, but for all of her size advantage Steven was putting up a good fight, his arms upright as she gritted her teeth, eager to squeeze him close to her and grind herself off against his face.

I can’t hold her much longer, Steven realized, his arms quaking with exhaustion as the twin golden walls of her thighs pressed harder with each lick against her sensitive clit. There was one final gasp from overhead, and his strength failed. The massive thick thighs collapsed on either side of him like an avalanche, bringing more muscle than he had in his whole body down to squeeze him tightly against Allura’s womanhood as she came, soaking his face with her juices and grinding hard against his face, pressing it into her folds and filling his senses with the smell and taste of her arousal. Steven’s vision began to blur as her orgasm stretched, intensified by his struggling as her powerful body crushed any further resistance. Just when he was sure he was about to pass out, she collapsed backwards, her thighs parting like the sea and giving him fresh air.

“Wow,” Allura panted, giggling slightly as she looked down at the exhausted man between her legs, “humans truly are skilled with their tongues…”

She reached down, drawing him up her body again, enjoying the way he was nearly limp from exhaustion. The golden goddess slowly turned over, laying him down against her living room sized mattress and looming over him, letting the twin orbs of her breasts dangle over him sensuously as she admired his body, still soaked with her pungent cum and giving him a musty smell as she regarded him with a smile.

“Should I return the favor?” she asked sweetly.

Steven perked up, “Uh, yes, please!”

Allura brought her face down towards his groin, her tongue, almost as long as his arm, snaking out and playfully licking up his body. He shivered, and she took that as a sign to continue, letting the powerful pink appendage explore his body with a gusto. Her lips slowly sealed around his torso, drawing his manhood in between the puffy pink pillows as she began to slowly suck, letting her tongue flick at and ride up and down his shaft as she observed his reactions.

“Ah!” he gasped, jolting as she found just the right spot.

She responded with a knowing giggle, letting her massive tongue slide down his manhood again. He jerked, but she easily pressed her lips down, holding him in place as her torso sized hands came up and pinned his arms to the bed, holding him still while she finished with him.

Steven’s final moan echoed off the walls as Allura forced him to orgasm, slurping up his seed eagerly as his hips bucked against her lips, spraying powerfully into her mouth. The sensation became overwhelming as she went beyond the point of comfort, causing Steven to squirm in the throes of his powerful orgasm, held in place easily by Allura’s hands as she finished up the most intense blowjob of his life.

“Mm…” she giggled, licking her lips as she sat up. She swallowed loudly, glancing down in amusement at her spent human lover.

“I missed this,” he said softly. He leaned into her grip as she curled her hands under his body again, pulling him once more into the warmth of her embrace. The two stared at the ceiling for a few minutes, just enjoying the afterglow.

“So, what do we need to do to find our corporate spy?” Allura said with a sly smirk.

“It’s one thing not to push you away, but now you want to jump right into all of this?” Steven asked, raising an eyebrow.

“The sooner it’s over, the sooner we can get back to us, ” Allura said, “and I suppose I should help the Imperium, as a loyal citizen and all that. So, what can I do?”

Steven thought a moment, “Starla’s using Miguel as a catspaw in whatever she’s planning, maybe you and I could do the same?”

“And where do you want to go?” Allura asked curiously, “do you have any idea who’s working with her, or what they’re planning?”

“No,” Steven admitted, “but… I’ll be sure to tell you when I do. Until then, let’s just keep our eyes and ears open. Maybe we’ll get lucky and the intel services will scoop them all up and we won’t have to do anything.”

“Wouldn’t that be nice?” Allura agreed with a chuckle, running a finger through his hair.

Well she’s in it too, Steven thought, not sure how he felt about it. I couldn’t push her away after all, I ended up back in her arms in a week. The thought both relieved and worried him somehow.

…

“How do you want to deal with Caridia?” Allura asked as they walked into their office. The object of their discussion was absent so far, uncharacteristically late, no doubt to avoid the pair.

“I don’t know,” Steven muttered, “I almost feel kind of bad for her.”

“She trapped you in her shoe and was hurting you bad enough that you lit up like a flare on my mental senses,” Allura said coldly. “I know that humans believe we don’t take things like that seriously, but we very much do, at the very least Sula would send her packing if you went to her with this.”

Their door creaked open, and Caridia herself meekly walked in, looking nervously at the pair, “H-Hi,” she stammered, sitting down at her desk and doing her best to pretend nothing was wrong.

“Caridia,” Allura said in a low voice, “we need to talk.”

The dark haired Stelan looked from Allura, to Steven, drumming her hand on her desk nervously, “I-I’m sorry!” she said, tears welling up in her eyes, “I just thought… I didn’t mean to-“

Allura growled, cutting her off as she got up from her own desk, staring the other Stelan down, “You thought what exactly?” Caridia gulped, while both were Stelans Allura had a thicker and more powerful build compared to Caridia’s thinner physique, and Steven had no doubts which of them would come away worse if the two women got physical.

I’ve got to calm this down, Steven realized, “Allura!” he said, causing her head to whip back to him, “I don’t want…” He sighed, “Don’t hurt her, please.”

Allura softened, stalking back to Steven’s desk with slow deliberate clacks of her heels against the floor, “You’re lucky Steven’s a nicer person than I am,” she muttered.

“I’m willing to accept the apology,” Steven said slowly, “and we can just let it go…”

Caridia’s eyes went wide and her mouth opened in shock, mercy evidently wasn’t what she expected, “T-Thank you,” she whispered, “I promise, I’ll never do anything like that ever again, I was just so sure it was what you wanted-“

“I’d stop with that line of thinking,” Steven said sharply, causing her to pause, then nod sullenly.

“I’m uh… going to spend some time with the suppliers,” Caridia said softly, “you know, get everything ready and in place for the first prototype of the drone. I probably won’t be in the office much for the next few weeks.”

“That would be for the best,” Allura said, glaring at her.

“I’ll uh… see you two when we’re ready for the launch,” she said, smiling weakly as she gathered things from her desk. After a few minutes she nodded at them one last time, heading out the door a little too quickly to be casual.

…

With the awkwardness of the confrontation over, the day was almost normal. Steven found himself focusing on work, collecting data on the movement of the various raw materials to the site of the drone’s factory complexes, spread out among other Green Zones on Earth. The day was almost over when Sula entered their office with an excited grin.

“Steven, Allura!” she said, beaming, “I’ve got some good news!”

“We’re under budget and ahead of schedule,” Steven said with a grin.

“That we are!” Sula said with a chuckle, peering down at him, “We’re doing so well that corporate is sending a number of Earth employees on a little weekend getaway at the First Contact resort, if you two are interested?”

“Yes!” Allura said eagerly, “we’d love to go!”

“Great, I’ll make arrangements for your transport this Friday after work, just bring your suitcases to the office and you can leave right from here!” Sula said with a grin.

“What’s the First Contact Resort?” Steven asked as soon as Sula left.

“It’s in the Green Zone in the middle of the continent!” Allura said with a smile, “it’s built on the site of the first Stellan-Human contact.”

“Oh yeah,” Steven muttered, “I always wondered why Omaha of all places was a Green Zone, it never really seemed important like the other cities the Imperium designated. So the first contact is that important to your people?”

“The historical value can’t be understated,” Allura nodded, “but it’s also a great place to get away with your favorite human, it’s got a massive luxury resort, the finest of food and drink from all over the Imperium, and the scenery is just so exotic!”

“In Nebraska?” Steven smirked, “I’ve never been to the Green Zone there, but I’ve flown over it a few times, do Stelans really love grass and corn that much?”

“Yes!” Allura said eagerly, “there’s nothing like it on our planet, just so much vast open space!”

Steven blinked, I suppose scenery on their planet that’s boring to them might be interesting to me, he reasoned, still, he had to fight a chuckle at how Allura was practically bouncing behind her desk at the thought of a trip to what most of the post conquest America still thought of as flyover country.

With a sigh he reached to the power switch on his computer monitor, flicking it off for the day as he gathered his things to go home. He paused as he saw his reflection in the dark screen, there was something off about his eyes… He quickly leaned towards it, but saw only his normal brown irises.

“Everything okay?” Allura asked, glancing down at him.

“Yeah,” he said, tearing his gaze away from the monitor, for a minute there it almost looked like my eyes were… He sighed, no, we’re probably not even close to that… not even close.