(Tana's POV)
He treated me gently, like I was something precious to him, and overloaded my senses with tons of kisses and eye contact.
Whenever I got shy and looked away, he'd beckon me to look at him and reward me with his lips when I complied.
"Insinz..."
When I whispered his name, his hands moved onto my ass and gripped me tighter, and at that same moment, there was a knock at the door.
"Tana... are you in there?"
Aluma is awake.
Insinz rested his forehead on my shoulder and swore under his breath,
"I f**ked up..."
I wondered what he meant, but before I could ask, he said, "I'm sorry... we should continue this later... I love you."
He kissed me one last time before trading places with one of his clones.
I knew right away it wasn't the real him because the clone's clothes were perfect and he... didn't have a penis.
Which makes sense, a clone made for battle wouldn't need that.
Plus, I'm positive that whatever fluids came out of his body would be insanely toxic.
The one that was holding me from behind gently put me down and disappeared as well.
"I'll be out soon!" I yelled to reassure Aluma.
"That was fun... we should do it again sometime... when we're less preoccupied," the clone chimed, his voice filled to the brim with flirtation.
I wanted to redo Insinz's braids before he left.
I wonder if I'll get to see him again before we're gone.
"You talk like you were there," I replied in an indifferent tone.
"We share experiences, so I feel like I was... so I am even more enamored with you than I was before. I did not think that was possible."
He stroked my cheek and smiled, but I slapped his hand away.
"I see... I didn't realize."
I started washing up in the sink, and Cloney leaned against the door frame, then it remarked
"I admire your loyalty... but feel free to cheat on me with me."
I couldn't help but laugh a bit.
"Get into my necklace," I mumbled.
It's better to keep Aluma in the dark as much as possible.
He pouted, then walked to me, pressing his body to mine, with my back to the bathroom counter and hands on his chest.
"Y-you're too close," I whispered.
He brushed his cheek against mine,
"I want to be even closer to you, but it's not possible right now. I'm not going back into the necklace... I want her to know we're in here together. I know the safest pathway to Earth. I'll return to your pendant when you're safe."
I felt like I had something stuck in my throat, and my hands trembled.
"You're not really him... so back away," I muttered.
The clone sulked and then crouched over in the corner.
"Fine... new topic. I was reading while we were separated," he stated suddenly.
"Oh, so you're the original clone I met?"
He nodded.
"We share knowledge, so I have several clones studying books on whatever subjects I need more information on. I also have several surveying the area, which is why I feel safer escorting you."
I fixed my clothes and then nodded at his explanation.
"You're impossible. Get in my necklace for now and reappear outside. We don't have to leave together," I ordered.
He groaned.
"I want to brag about you! I haven't gotten to tell anyone that we're a couple except Nelly, and that was overshadowed by this fight with Vetro. Even if she doesn't think we've been f**king, I need her to see how you wanted to be alone with me... and how much I love you."
When he admitted this, I sighed and smiled lightly, and then I extended my hand to him.
"Okay, Insinz, you can tell me more on the way, we have to go right?"
He grinned happily and hopped onto his feet as he grabbed my hand.
"I'm a little disappointed that she only slept five hours," he grumbled, opening the door for us.
"Well, we're pressed for time anyway, so it's best to just accept it," I reasoned.
Aluma was standing right in front of the doorway, staring at us, then she looked at our hands and gasped.
"You're?!" she remarked knowingly.
She covered her mouth. I had no idea she'd be this shocked.
"He's your boyfriend?! That makes so much sense," she declared.
Her comment confused me even more when she continued,
"I was wondering why he was helping us, and I remembered a man in a hood bringing me food those years you were away. I never saw his face, and he didn't speak, but he had one charcoal black hand... It all makes sense now."
She smiled widely.
I turned to Insinz, who sighed and said,
"I'll explain everything later."
I know him well enough by now to know he was bashful.
I thought he was cute, but there was still a voice in my head screaming that this Insinz wasn't real, which caused a sense of loneliness to become attached to my joy.
We moved quietly through back roads and forests.
We were taking the longest path possible, back to the red spot and the portal that he created yesterday. I'm glad it went unnoticed.
The whole trip, he refused to release my hand, and I tried to stay calm about it because I knew he CAN share experiences with the main body while we were still on Afaria, but being close to him made my longing for his true self even more intense, and that led to a nagging emptiness.
He's just a shell of the one I love.
(Insinz' POV)
While I was distracted, all the clones keeping Vetro busy were destroyed.
He filled the room with Spider plants, which didn't do much at first, but when he created two Katanas crafted with activated carbon, my clones began taking damage.
His attacks were too quick and precise to dodge, and when a clone of mine was sliced, the plants rapidly purified the poisons leaking from their bodies.
Just trying to maintain their shapes was using up too much energy.
Five hundred clones were destroyed in only one hour.
That means his whereabouts were unknown for at least four hours while I was with Tana... I really screwed up.
The only thing I managed to do right was make sure they made it back to Earth safely; that's some weight off my shoulders, at least.
Nelly and Rytem were waiting for me at the base.
Nelly spoke first,
"You're late."
I looked around the room and scratched my arm.
"Uh... my bad... I know we were supposed to meet an hour ago..."
He sighed, then stepped closer to me and sniffed me.
"The heck are you doing?" I asked, jerking away.
"You... smell different." I laughed loudly and nervously,
"What does he smell like?" Rytem asked,
"It doesn't matter! We're doing so much fighting and can't take the fancy baths in the castle, so it's only natural that I'd start to smell, off," I said with a shrug, but Nelly shook his head and noted,
"No... you smell like sex."
I gasped.
"I recognize it from the times Rytem was cheating on me," he remarked.
"We weren't even together then!" Rytem yelled defensively.
Nelly rolled his eyes and folded his arms, saying,
"So I had to endure getting cuddled every night by a drunken fool that I wasn't even dating? Wow..." Rytem began hugging Nelly, but got pushed away.
"You didn't tell me Tana was back."
My face felt hot. I can't believe I got found out so easily.
I'm supposed to be making sure things go smoothly, but I made such a major slip-up... for pleasure.
He has a right to be pissed.
"She had to do a favor for Raijian before he'd agree to join our cause. She's already gone back to Earth, but she should be back soon... Might be a stupid question, but how did you know that she was back?"
He smirked at me and said,
"You pissed off the king and started this revolt over her; you wouldn't cheat on her after only a week. Plus, you've been fawning over her your whole life."
This has been the longest week of my life...
"I guess... that was pretty obvious... She came on to me, and... I didn't know how to refuse. I'm sorry."
Her eyes were so filled with longing, and I missed her so much. Truthfully, the moment we were alone, the urge hit me, but Aluma was in the room, and I was trying to micromanage hundreds of clones.
I decided it wasn't a good time, but my priorities went out the door as soon as she made her desires known.
"Oh, I understand, if Tana came on to me, I would have done it too," Nelly remarked.
My eye twitched.
"You... are aware that Tana and I are together."
He chuckled,
"And you're aware that she's hot... well, now at least. I finally see what you saw in her all these years. She's absolutely breathtaking."
I got revved up to fight him, but Rytem held me back and said,
"Calm down. We're on the same side."
He then scolded Nelly, who pouted, but apologized moments later by saying,
"My bad, I lost my inhibitions so I just blurted the first thing I thought of."
I understood but...
"I just wish ... it wasn't even a thought in your head..." I mumbled, but... he's doing a lot for me.
The least I can do is let it go.
"Wouldn't you do the same thing?" Nelly asked Rytem for support.
Rytem blushed, saying,
"I'm already with the sweetest and most beautiful person in the world. I can't imagine wanting anyone else."
Nelly rolled his eyes in response, but I noticed a slight smile.
"Alright, back to business, do either of you know where Vetro went?"
"I don't have eyes on him, but one of my clones heard that he was heading into the city; he's likely searching for Tana in person," Nelly explained, with Rytem kissing his cheek and him apathetically allowing it.
His being mixed in with the civilians is... bothersome.
"Just great..." I grumbled.
I hope no one saw anything.
It's not like he can go to Earth himself, but it would be a disaster if he had her followed. Rytem tried kissing Nelly's arm, but Nelly snatched it away and told him that was enough, which depressed his boyfriend greatly.
Rytem's powers are strong, but I don't want to risk putting him on the front lines without the others here for backup; he can't duplicate himself like Nelly and I.
She has me so thoroughly wrapped around her finger, and I know she tried to seduce Zai to have him kill the king for her.
She failed because she wasn't in her right mind and had to conceal her beauty. Is it possible that she's clinging to me now because she thinks I have the potential to kill Vetro in place of Zai?
It's not like it matters, even if she was just using me, it wouldn't change anything, even how I feel.
So I might as well trust her.
"Nelly, I have a plan to help us regain some ground."
He immediately perked up and leaned toward me.
"Tell me," he replied excitedly.
I smiled in response.
"We need to focus on making your clones more solid."
He huffed.
"But that's hard," Nelly complained,
"Well, it's not possible for me right now; you can use ice at least."
He mumbled something incoherently under his breath.
"I developed this," I explained as I handed him a crystal.
"What is it?" he asked, holding it up in front of my lamp.
"A bomb, It'll explode if you hit something solid with enough force. I want you to send the castle walls tumbling down. Let's make doorways large enough to welcome our brother's return."
And possibly draw the King back home.
He grinned.
"Alright, I'll do it because I like explosions!" Nelly exclaimed.
We trained, and a lot of time passed before he could create a clone with the right density to house my bombs. It's time for Plan B.
"Yay! I pulled it off!" Nelly cheered while hugging me.
"You did... good job," I said as I patted his head, "I'm glad you're on my side."
"Of course!" He let me go. "You're my best friend, I'm not going to let you die," he declared with a proud smirk.