Kirk smiled at his brothers, who were observing him with envy.

“Were you guys out all night?” Kate asked.

She had pulled away from his kiss, but he noticed that she hadn’t let go of his hand. She was embarrassed to have been kissing him, but she wasn’t ashamed of the bond they had formed.

This was very promising.

“I think that’s burning,” Cecily said, pointing at the pancake.

Kate let go of his hand to pull the pan off the stove.

“We were at a party,” Buck said happily.

“What party?” Kate asked.

“A graphic novelist from the UK,” Beatrix said. “The party was wild, He hung his hotel room with sheets of butcher paper and by the time we left the whole place was covered in drawings.”

Kirk looked to Buck, who shook his head slightly.

Kirk was glad his brother hadn’t displayed his gift. Each of the men seemed to have an enhancement of some kind, an echo of their strengths back on Aerie.

But Dr. Bhimani had cautioned them not to use their gifts in public.

Buck had followed that advice. Kirk only wished he could say the same. It was risky for him to use his power on Spencer, but Kate was in danger. If he had another chance, he would do it again.

“So now what?” Cecily asked.

“I think these pancakes are a lost cause,” Kate said. “Sorry, Kirk. Do you guys want to go to the diner around the corner?”

Kirk wasn’t disappointed. As long as she wanted to spend her time with him, he was happy.

He noticed how Beatrix stole a glance at Buck before nodding her head.

Kirk hoped that they were bonding too. It seemed almost too perfect that they had met these three amazing women. If only they were receptive and compatible, he and his brothers could spend their Earth lives together with these three who were almost like sisters.

Though he wanted to immerse himself in his new planet’s culture, Kirk found it easier to do so when he had his brothers around to help him figure it out.

And secretly he worried about Solo, whose stern personality hadn’t softened even after months on this lush and welcoming planet. Solo would need Kirk and Buck to help him adjust.

“The diner sounds great,” Cecily said.

“Agreed,” Solo assented.

“Let me get my stuff,” Kate said.

She disappeared down the hallway.

“We should change too,” Cecily said to Beatrix.

Beatrix nodded and the two headed down the hallway.

Kirk began to clean up the kitchen. It was harder than he had expected.

“Let me help you, brother,” Buck said.

He grabbed a towel and began sweeping the dry ingredients from the counter into his hand and then dumping it into the trashcan.

Solo leaned against the wall, apparently deep in thought.

“You mated, didn’t you?” Buck asked quietly.

“No,” Kirk said, shaking his head. “But we will. I can feel it.”

“That is good,” Buck said, clapping Kirk so hard on the back that he nearly stumbled.

“How are things with Beatrix?” Kirk asked.

“I’m not sure,” Buck said thoughtfully.

“She seems to like you a lot,” Kirk said.

“I thought so,” Buck said. “But she has declared that she will not take a mate. She is mated to her career.”

“How is this possible?” Kirk was stupefied.

“I think it’s a figure of speech,” Solo said from his post in the doorway. “It means that the time she would devote to a family is now devoted to her work.”

“Ah,” Kirk said. That made sense. Though it was terrible news for Buck.

“If she means this, why does she seem to like you?” Kirk asked.

“Cecily took pity on him and explained it,” Solo said. “What Beatrix is doing is playing at liking Buck. It’s called flirting. Beatrix is very skilled at it.”

She certainly was. So skilled that Kirk wasn’t sure this could be the case. No one could be so precise at feigning attraction, could they?

He remembered that Kate’s job was a form of pretending for entertainment. Could she be pretending with him?

He thought of their time together last night. If she was pretending, she was truly gifted at it.

“This place is very confusing,” Buck said sadly.

Buck was usually the most optimistic of the brothers. Seeing him in pain stung Kirk.

“She will come around, brother,” he told Buck. “I think this flirting may only be practicing for something more.”

Buck’s expression lightened at this.

“Here they come,” Solo breathed.

Kirk heard movement in the hallway. Beatrix appeared first, followed by Cecily.

At last Kate joined them. She was wearing her wig and sunglasses again.

“I don’t want to be recognized while we’re out,” she explained.

She looked very beautiful no matter what she wore, but Kirk found her especially interesting to look at with the purple wig on. She looked like herself and not like herself at the same time.

They headed out of the apartment to the elevator, everyone chatting at once.

It was hard to remember his formal duties while in the midst of this friendly group. But he managed to check the elevator before they got on.

It was hardly big enough to hold all six of them. Kate wound up pressed against him in a very pleasant way. He watched sadly as the digital floor display counted down, not knowing when he would feel this closeness with her again.

He tried very hard not to think about getting in bed with her again, though the flashes of last night invaded his consciousness every few seconds - the scent of her, the sound of her moans, the movement of her hair as she thrashed out her pleasure.

Easy, Kirk, easy.

When they reached the bottom floor he scanned the lobby before stepping aside to let everyone off.

He took Kate’s hand as they headed for the lobby door and she squeezed his back.

Sunlight bounced off the water in the lobby fountain and the rich scent of coffee drifted in the air. Everyone coming and going looked as cheerful as he felt.

Kirk wondered if his own happiness had somehow expanded to embrace them all, infusing them with the delicate joy of the beginning of his bonding with Kate.