unflirtysimmer

[unflirtysimmer]

The days passed, and with their engagement still fresh, Mercury and Blaze decided to capture the moment with a photo shoot in Tartosa. The romantic coastal town, known for its breathtaking cliffs, charming streets, and golden sunsets, seemed like the perfect backdrop for their love story.

Dressed for the occasion, Mercury wore a tight blue dress with delicate silver embroidery, the fabric catching the light with every movement. Blaze, ever the contrast to her elegance, opted for a purple button-up shirt with rolled-up sleeves, black slacks, and his signature confident smirk.

Their photographer guided them through the cobblestone streets, onto the beach where the waves kissed the shore, and finally to a cliffside overlooking the vast, endless ocean. Each shot captured the undeniable chemistry between them—the stolen glances, the way Blaze always found a reason to hold her close, the laughter that came effortlessly between them.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink, Mercury leaned against Blaze’s chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart. In that moment, everything felt perfect. No worries about their mission, no concerns about the future—just them, together, frozen in time.

[unflirtysimmer]

Instead of stepping back or sitting down, Jacob reached out, his hands cupping Sunflower’s face gently. His thumbs brushed over her cheeks, tracing the warmth of her yellow skin.

Sunflower’s breath hitched. “Jacob?”

He pulled her closer, his forehead nearly touching hers. His brown eyes searched her big green ones, not with fear or doubt, but with something softer—understanding, maybe even admiration.

"You know," he started, his voice quieter now, "I don't really care where you're from. You're you. The same person who makes me laugh, who tried to drink half a keg the night we met, who texts me the weirdest thoughts at 3 AM." He smiled a little. "I mean, yeah, this is insane, but honestly? I think it’s kinda cool."

Sunflower blinked, searching his face for any hesitation. "Really? You’re not scared? Not even a little?"

Jacob chuckled. "I mean, a little, but not of you. I just wish you’d told me sooner." His fingers brushed over the curve of her antenna, making her shiver. "You're still my Sunflower."

Her lips parted in surprise before curling into a bright, relieved smile. "You're taking this way better than I thought."

Jacob smirked. "Mercury’s my best friend. I’ve had practice dealing with weirdos."

Sunflower let out a breathy laugh, and before she could say anything else, Jacob closed the small space between them and kissed her. It was warm, soft, and full of quiet reassurance. Sunflower melted into it, her hands moving to grip his jersey, pulling him just a little closer.

When they finally pulled away, she grinned up at him. "So… I’m your weirdo now?"

Jacob chuckled, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead. "Damn right you are."

[unflirtysimmer]

Jacob stood frozen, his expression unreadable. Seconds passed in silence, and Sunflower shifted nervously. She expected something—shock, yelling, maybe even fear—but he just stared.

The silence stretched too long, and suddenly, words started tumbling from her mouth.

"So, yeah, I'm an alien," she blurted, her voice rising slightly. "And I know that’s probably a lot, but I really, really didn’t mean to hide it from you forever. I just didn’t know when or how to say it, and I didn’t want you to think I was some kind of monster or something." She let out a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of her neck. "But you’re, like, super quiet right now, and I thought you’d maybe freak out more? Or ask something? But you’re just standing there, and it’s kind of freaking me out—"

She stopped when Jacob finally moved. He blinked a few times, shaking his head as if snapping out of a trance. "Wait, hold on," he said, finally speaking. His voice was calm, but his face was still full of disbelief. "You mean to tell me... you’re actually not from Earth? Like, real deal, spaceship and everything?"

Sunflower nodded quickly. "Yeah! That’s exactly what I mean! I mean, I didn’t arrive in a spaceship, but, yeah, I’m from a different planet!"

Jacob exhaled sharply and rubbed his face. "That’s… wow. Okay. That’s a lot." He let out a short laugh, still looking at her like he was trying to make sense of it all. "I mean, you always said weird stuff, but I thought that was just... you."

Sunflower pouted. "It is just me! Just me and the fact that I’m not human."

Jacob dropped his hands and looked at her again. His eyes scanned over her alien features like he was committing them to memory.

[unflirtysimmer]

Jacob blinked at her, his brow furrowing in confusion. "What?" he asked, letting out a short laugh like he thought she might be joking.

Sunflower swallowed, her heart pounding. "I'm not human, Jacob," she repeated, her voice quieter this time.

Jacob stared at her, his mouth slightly open, clearly not processing it. "I—uh. What do you mean?"

Instead of answering, Sunflower took a step back and closed her eyes. A faint shimmer spread over her skin like ripples in water, and in an instant, her human form melted away.

Jacob sucked in a sharp breath.

Before him stood someone—something—entirely different. Sunflower’s skin was a bright, warm yellow, matching the golden curls of her hair. Two curly antennas now poked from her forehead, twitching slightly. Her big, droopy ears stretched past her jawline, and her wide green eyes gleamed in the dim light of the living room. Dark, elf-like markings adorned her skin in soft, swirling patterns, similar to those of a cat's coat.

Sunflower hesitated, watching Jacob's reaction carefully. "This is me," she said softly.

Jacob’s mouth opened, then closed. He took a slow step forward, staring at her like he was trying to find the right words but coming up completely blank. His hands twitched at his sides. "You… you’re serious," he finally breathed.

Sunflower nodded. "Yeah."

[unflirtysimmer]

Meeting his gaze, Sunflower forced a small smile, trying to ease the tension building in her chest.

Jacob studied her for a moment before raising an eyebrow. “Is this a sit-down conversation?” he asked, his usual playful tone laced with a hint of concern.

Sunflower shook her head. “No… I just need to say this.” She took a deep breath before launching into her speech.

"First off, I just want to say how much I’ve enjoyed being with you. You make me really happy, Jacob." Her smile grew a little more genuine as she spoke, but her fingers were still nervously twisting the hem of her shirt. "And meeting your friends has been really great too. I like them a lot."

Jacob nodded along, but he could sense there was more—something heavier coming. His expression softened as he asked, “Okay… so what’s the secret?”

Sunflower’s smile faltered. She clenched her hands into fists at her sides before finally blurting out, “I’m not human.”

[unflirtysimmer]

Sunflower stepped into the living room, her usual bounce in her step noticeably absent. Jacob, who had been lounging on the couch, immediately perked up upon seeing her. With his usual enthusiasm, he stood and pulled her into a quick hug.

"Hey, babe! How was hanging out with Mercury and Blaze?" he asked, smiling brightly.

Sunflower returned the hug, but it was weaker than usual. She pulled back slightly, avoiding his gaze. Jacob immediately noticed the shift in her demeanor. His smile faltered, concern settling into his features.

“Hey... what’s wrong?” he asked, tilting his head.

Sunflower swallowed hard, gripping the hem of her shirt. “I... I need to tell you something.”

[unflirtysimmer]

Sunflower hesitated at the doorway, gripping the strap of her bag tightly. The walk to Jacob’s house had felt longer than usual, each step weighed down by uncertainty. She trusted Jacob with everything, but Mercury and Blaze’s concerns lingered in the back of her mind. What if they were right? What if he freaked out?

Taking a deep breath, she pushed forward and stepped inside. “Jacob? I’m here!”

His voice rang out from the living room. “In here, babe!”

She followed the sound, her heart pounding harder with each step. This was it. No turning back now.

[unflirtysimmer]

As they strolled down the warm streets of Oasis Springs, Blaze turned to Sunflower. “So… do you want to help with our mission? No pressure, only if you want.”

Sunflower shook her head with a small smile. “Nah, I think I’m good. I like it here. No one seems to question the weird things I say, and I really, really like Jacob.” She let out a light laugh. “Honestly, I think he accepted me so quickly because he already had a weird alien-adjacent friend in Mercury.”

Mercury rolled her eyes but smirked. “I’m not that weird.”

Sunflower raised an eyebrow. “You started a street brawl as a ‘holiday tradition.’”

“…Fair.”

Blaze, still focused on the bigger issue, asked, “Does Jacob know what you are?”

Sunflower hesitated before shaking her head. “No. Not yet. But I want to tell him.”

Mercury and Blaze exchanged glances. Blaze rubbed the back of his neck. “You sure that’s a good idea? Humans can be unpredictable.”

“I know, but… I trust him. I think he’ll understand.”

Mercury sighed. “It’s your decision. Just be careful.”

Sunflower tilted her head. “Should I tell him about you two, too?”

Mercury and Blaze immediately shook their heads.

“No,” Blaze said firmly.

Mercury added, “It’s one thing for you to tell him about yourself, but if he knew about us, that’s double the risk. If something goes wrong, it’s safer if he only knows about you.”

Sunflower pursed her lips but eventually nodded. “Alright, I won’t say anything about you guys.”

The conversation settled, and they continued their walk, enjoying the breeze and the fading sunlight. Eventually, they headed back to Mercury and Blaze’s house, hanging out for a while and chatting about casual things to lighten the mood.

After some time, Sunflower stood up, stretching. “Well, I guess I should go talk to Jacob now.”

Mercury and Blaze both gave her one last look of concern, but neither of them tried to stop her.

“Good luck,” Mercury said.

Blaze nodded. “Yeah. Hope it goes well.”

Sunflower grinned. “It will. You’ll see.” With that, she headed out, making her way to Jacob’s house to finally tell him the truth.

[unflirtysimmer]

Mercury took a steadying breath before speaking. “I’m a Bazura. Blaze is a Feroxian.”

The moment the words left her mouth, Sunflower’s expression shifted. Her usual chipper demeanor faltered, her lips pressing into a thin line. She looked at Blaze, something unreadable flickering in her brown eyes.

“A Feroxian,” she repeated, her voice quieter than usual.

Blaze immediately noticed the change in her tone. His usual easygoing posture stiffened. “Yeah.”

Sunflower crossed her arms, her brows furrowing. “Your people… they took my home. Forced us out.”

Blaze exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair. “I know. And I’m not gonna sit here and pretend that didn’t happen. But I wasn’t part of that. I was just a kid when it happened. I had nothing to do with it.”

Sunflower’s gaze softened slightly, but she still looked uncertain. “Still… it’s hard not to feel some kind of way about it, you know?”

Blaze nodded. “Yeah. I get it.” He looked at her earnestly. “I can’t change what my people did. But that’s not who I am. I’m not here as a Feroxian soldier. I don’t want to conquer or fight anyone. I just want to live my life. And—” He glanced at Mercury. “—be with her.”

Sunflower studied him for a long moment before sighing. “Alright, alright. I’ll get over it. You’re not a warmongering psycho, and you seem cool. I’ll let it go.” She gave him a half-smile. “But if I hear you saying some Feroxian supremacy crap, I’m decking you in the face.”

Blaze grinned, some of the tension easing. “Noted.”

Mercury, relieved that had gone over well, jumped in. “We’re both here under different missions, sent by our own people. But we don’t want to go through with them. We’re figuring out a plan to get out of it, but it’s… complicated.”

Sunflower raised an eyebrow. “So, you two are, like, defectors?”

“Basically,” Mercury confirmed. “We don’t want to go home, at least not under these conditions. We want to be free, to live life on our own terms.”

[unflirtysimmer]

Sunflower’s grin stretched wider, and she put her hands on her hips. "You guys sure took your time, huh?"

Mercury raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Sunflower rocked back on her heels, her expression smug. "I mean, come on! I had my suspicions. You two don’t exactly scream 'normal humans.' You’re too… I don’t know, perfect-looking? And the way you talk sometimes—it’s like you’re trying too hard to be casual." She pointed at Blaze. "Especially you. You use slang in a way that sounds like you learned it from an outdated textbook."

Blaze crossed his arms, looking slightly offended. "Hey, I have a great grasp on human lingo. I’m very 'down with it.'"

Mercury stifled a laugh as Sunflower outright cackled. "See? That’s what I’m talking about!"

Still laughing, Sunflower took a step closer, looking Mercury in the eye. "So… what are you, then? ‘Cause I know I’m an Ombrax. But you two? No clue."

Blaze stiffened slightly at the confirmation of her being an Ombrax, but Mercury kept her cool.

[unflirtysimmer]

As the trio strolled down the sunbaked streets of Oasis Springs, the dry desert air was warm but not unbearable. The mid-spring season kept the heat from being suffocating, and a light breeze occasionally swept through, offering brief relief.

Mercury and Blaze exchanged a quick glance before she took the lead, clearing her throat. "So, Sunflower… we wanted to talk to you about something important."

Sunflower, walking ahead slightly, turned on her heel to face them while still moving backward. "Ooooh, sounds serious. Are you guys starting a band? No, wait! A secret society? Am I getting inducted?"

Blaze snorted. "Not quite."

Mercury smiled at her antics but pressed on. "Look, we’ve noticed you say a lot of… unusual things. Things that most people would find weird. And we don’t think you do it on purpose."

Sunflower cocked her head. "Weird? Pfft. I mean, yeah, I guess I say some odd stuff sometimes. But who doesn’t?" She flashed a grin.

Mercury folded her arms. "Like talking about things no human would normally understand?"

Sunflower’s grin faltered just a little. "Huh. Well… I mean… I—"

Blaze took a step closer. "We’re saying this because we get it."

Sunflower blinked. "Get what?"

Mercury glanced around to make sure no one was too close before lowering her voice slightly. "That you're not exactly from around here."

Sunflower’s eyes widened, her usual energy pausing for the first time. She opened her mouth as if to respond but quickly shut it, looking between them.

Blaze rubbed the back of his neck. "Look, we’re not here to freak you out or anything. We just thought maybe it’d be good to be upfront."

Sunflower’s gaze flickered between them again, her usual chatter gone silent. Then, finally, she broke into a slow, knowing smile.

"Ohhhh. So that’s how it is."

[unflirtysimmer]

Stepping back, Mercury called into the house. “Blaze! Let’s go.”

Sunflower perked up. “Ooooh, what’s the plan? Cliff diving? Secret rave? Fighting a bear?”

Mercury laughed. “We’re just going for a walk. It’s a nice day out.”

Sunflower pouted for half a second before grinning. “Fine, fine. Walking can be fun. Let’s go!”

As they started down the sidewalk, Mercury glanced at Sunflower. She still wasn’t entirely sure, but everything about her practically screamed Ombrax. And if that was the case, this conversation was about to get really interesting.

[unflirtysimmer]

After about an hour of waiting, a knock finally echoed through the house. Mercury got up from the couch, stretching before making her way to the door.

Opening it, she was met with Sunflower’s ever-chipper expression. The girl practically bounced on her heels, her wild energy as present as ever.

“Mercury!” Sunflower beamed, immediately throwing her arms around her in an enthusiastic hug.

Mercury laughed, patting her back. “Hey, Sunflower. Glad you could make it.”

[unflirtysimmer]

Mercury scrolled through her contacts until she found Sunflower’s name. Taking a deep breath, she pressed the call button. Blaze watched her from the couch, still looking a little uneasy about the plan.

After a few rings, Sunflower’s voice came through, bright and chipper. “Mercury! Hey! What’s up?”

Mercury glanced at Blaze before responding. “Hey, Sunflower. Blaze and I were wondering if you wanted to come hang out with us today.”

“Ooooh, are we gonna do something fun?” Sunflower asked excitedly.

Mercury smirked. “Yeah, something like that. Come over to our place when you can.”

There was a short pause before Sunflower responded, “Ooo, a house invite? Fancy! I’ll be there soon!”

The call ended, and Mercury turned to Blaze, crossing her arms. “There. It’s happening.”

Blaze sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Guess there’s no turning back now.”

[unflirtysimmer]

Mercury tugged at Blaze’s wrist, coaxing him to put his phone down on the couch. “Come on,” she murmured, moving to straddle his lap. Her hands rested on his shoulders as she leaned in, pressing their foreheads together.

Blaze exhaled slowly, his hands instinctively settling on her waist. “You’re really set on this, huh?” he asked, his voice softer now.

She nodded, her silver eyes searching his. “I promise, everything will go well. We’ll handle this the right way.” She brushed her thumb gently over his cheek. “Do you trust me?”

Blaze swallowed, his grip on her waist tightening just slightly. He let out a small breath before nodding. “Of course I do.”

Mercury smiled, pressing a soft kiss to the tip of his nose. “Then let’s do this together.”

[unflirtysimmer]

Mercury reached over and grabbed Blaze’s hand, squeezing it gently. “Come on, Blaze. I really think this is the best option. She’s too unpredictable to handle this in some roundabout way.”

Blaze sighed, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. “I get what you’re saying, but… what if she reacts badly? If she really is an Ombrax, then my people are the reason she’s not on her home planet anymore. That’s a pretty big thing to drop on someone.”

Mercury frowned, scooting closer to him. “We don’t even know for sure if she’s an Ombrax. And even if she is, she doesn’t seem to have any idea that you’re from the group that took over her planet. She barely seems aware that she should be keeping any of this a secret at all.”

Blaze sighed again, looking down at their joined hands. “I just don’t want to take the risk of making her angry. If she holds a grudge, she could blow our cover in an instant.”

Mercury tilted her head, considering his words. “That’s true… but we can’t keep dancing around this forever. Sooner or later, we have to make a move.”

Blaze was silent for a moment before looking back up at her. “Alright. But we need to be careful. I don’t want to push her into a reaction we can’t control.”

Mercury grinned. “Of course. We’ll ease her into it. No sudden ‘hey, we’re aliens, surprise!’”

Blaze chuckled, squeezing her hand back. “I’d appreciate that.”

[unflirtysimmer]

Blaze sat on the couch, one arm resting along the back while his other hand scrolled aimlessly through his phone. Mercury was sprawled out beside him, lying on her stomach with her legs in the air, idly tapping at her screen. They had been tossing around ideas in their heads for days, but nothing seemed like a good way to approach Sunflower about the truth.

Blaze sighed, setting his phone down on his stomach. “Okay, so what if we just casually drop alien-related topics into the conversation? See if she picks up on it?”

Mercury let out a groan. “We already thought of that, and we both know she’s just gonna start oversharing again without even considering us.”

Blaze ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah… what if we say something only an alien would know and see if she reacts?”

Mercury tossed her phone onto the couch and turned her head toward him. “Or we could just tell her we’re aliens.”

Blaze blinked, looking at her like she’d just suggested something completely absurd. “Just tell her?”

Mercury shrugged. “Why not? We’ve gone through every other option, and none of them work. She’s already spilling weird alien stuff in public like it’s nothing, so why are we overcomplicating this?”

Blaze hesitated, chewing on the inside of his cheek. “…You think it’s worth the risk?”

Mercury sat up, crossing her legs. “I think at this point, it’s our best shot at getting a real answer out of her.”

Blaze exhaled, shaking his head with a small smirk. “Alright. Let’s do it. Worst-case scenario, she freaks out, and we have to convince her not to scream ‘aliens’ in the middle of the street.”

Mercury grinned. “Exactly. It’ll be fun.”

Blaze chuckled, rolling his eyes. “Yeah… fun.”