Well-worn sandstone stairs, stained with months of slippery weather despite the recent dry spell. The sun shone weakly, as if the light was struggling to fit through a pinhole; the atmosphere was thick on Telos 9. Casted shadows on the smooth grey stonework of the tunnel entrance, humans once thought masonry craft this advanced might be the work of aliens. It was too smooth to be human made, right?
But then the humans met them.
Dust-ridden air filtered through the sheltered tunnel, and Aurix could hear each shift of their life amplified as they adjusted their knee pads. Then, a sigh. Their protective gear was itchy.
“No time like the present,” The mumble echoed through the tunnel as it fell from their lips.
Bending their knees, Aurix put one skate in front of another and pushed off. The roar of the wheels echoed tenfold through the dim tunnel. The dusty concrete crunched, almost throwing them off balance as they picked up speed.
As they burst out of the tunnel and onto the unpredictable footpath, they swerved to stay on the available smooth surface, they whizzed past the nearby vehicle park. On the edge of their awareness, they felt a beep at their wrist.
“What?” Aurix finally asked. “I’m almost there, okay?”
“Well hurry up!” Jasmine huffed from over the wrist-comm. “We’re all waiting for you, dumbass!”
“It’s not my fault parking was a nightmare.” Aurix tilted as they neatly avoided a cleaning bot in their path. “How long until the pod arrives?”
“You could have left earlier,” A familiar voice piped up. “Lola’s pod is here in an hour, you’ve got time.”
“Nalin! You’re there already?” Aurix screeched to a stop as they reached a crossing. Vehicles passed slowly in their sleepy farming city, the passengers almost gawking at Aurix.
“You’re the one that’s late, dude.” Nalin quipped back. “We’re also waiting on Sky; she wanted extra time for her makeup or something.”
Aurix heard Jasmine’s stifled snicker in the background.
“Oh, because that’s a surprise.” Aurix rolled their eyes and pushed off as the light changed. Everybody knew about Sky’s not-so-secret crush on Lola. She hadn’t seen them since first year, after ‘the kiss’. Lola had left on a planetary exchange program soon after. “I’ll be at the spaceport in ten, okay?”
Aurix knew Jasmine’s trademark dramatic sigh well. “Just be here before Sky, she’s super nervous about this.”
“Of course!” Aurix yelped as they ducked under a shop sign, feeling the beep at their wrist as Jasmine ended the call.
A few scrapes and street crossings later, and Aurix was smoothly looping around the corner to the sound of jet-engines and the funk of pod fuel.
“Beep beep!” Aurix couldn’t help but grin as they slowed to a stop, met with the sight of Jasmine’s purple skin and bald head, and Nalin’s metalhead tee.
“Show-off.” Nalin rolled his eyes, pushing blond hair out of his eyes. “Why did you need to rollerblade here anyway?”
“It’s fun!” Aurix shrugged, glancing down at their hot pink roller skates. “You just hate it because you think vintage is pretentious.”
“It is pretentious.” Jasmine adjusted her miniskirt, brushing off the dust Aurix had disturbed with their arrival. “Hover skates are ten times easier, boomer.”
“Sorry, I forgot you were allergic to joy. I still got here before Sky.” Aurix couldn’t help but be smug as they sat themself on the bench outside the spaceport to remove their gear.
“You’re lucky, Jas would have had a fit if you didn’t.” Nalin sat, putting an arm around Aurix.
“Aurix!” They perked up at the sound of their name as Sky bounded up. “Sky!!”
Sky tugged Aurix in an enthusiastic hug, a huge grin splitting their face as they embraced.
“What are we, chopped alien?” Jasmine grumbled. Sky laughed and pulled them all into a group hug, jumping in the air.
“So, ready to see your little pookiebear?” Aurix couldn’t help trying to noogie poor Sky with a sly smile.
“Nalin– you gotta stop them, they’re being mean.” Sky pleaded.
“You asked the wrong gay, short-cakes.” Nalin shrugged. “I couldn’t even fight off a bear.”
“Depends which kind of bear we’re talking about.” Jasmine’s mischief was palpable.
“Jasmine! We don’t need to hear about my hookups.” Nalin gasped, faux scandalised.
“Ugh, can we just get inside already?” Sky huffed. “Lola’s pod is entering orbit soon.”
“Oh, you soo can’t wait, can you.” Jasmine prodded mercilessly.
“You’re just salty your girlfriend’s off world for the month.” Nalin supplied, and Jasmine’s mutinous look was as much confirmation as anyone needed.
“Surely you’ve missed Lola too, Jasmine.” Aurix added, crossing their arms and shepherding the group out of the sun’s dry haze. The crowd at the shaded, busy spaceport was a hubbub of people of all sorts of species, dressed in a dizzying variety of fashions.
The open-air spaceport was all smooth metal and curved edges, so much so that it was louder inside than it was outside. The crowd buzzed and echoed, blooming with chatter. Families waited impatiently, children chased each other around with excitement. If anyone looked for Lola’s family here, they would not find them.
They’d only find Aurix, Jasmine, Nalin and Sky.
Sky’s face gleamed with joy as the group scanned the arrivals hall, watching the doors with barely contained impatience. Aurix was sure that Sky was thinking of Lola, their enviable waxy green hair and copper skin.
Each of them had a story, pain that left Aurix in bed for days sometimes. The words of others stung more bitterly than any of them would like to admit. Lola was still bruised from her home planet, Cricord 3.
“Sky!” A familiar masculine shriek rose above the crowd as the arrival doors opened. The group chased after Sky as she broke into a run across the spaceport.
“Lola!” The group chorused back. The Cricoridian was bowled over and joyfully tackled within an inch of their life.
As Aurix got up from the floor amidst the crowd, Lola laughed, eyes pricking with what could be tears.
It was worth the wounds for this, the warmth of their pile up hug and the tenderness found in Sky’s gaze shielding them from the sharp stares from the spaceport strangers at bay.
Hidden somewhere in Aurix’s shoddy parking and Jasmine’s gossip were intergalactic silver linings of something beyond them. Unspooled thread connecting each of them together, tugging tighter when times were rough.
What were the bonds of friendship, if not love at its most beautiful?
“I’ve missed you guys.” Lola croaked from their spot on the floor, cradled up next to Sky. The others snickered fondly as they recovered from their excitement.
Nalin shared a glance with Jasmine, his shoulders relaxed and eyes sparkling.
“Don’t worry. We missed you too.”
