Isaac and Nikki were back in the basement of the Hanon house which was now Isaac's room. Isaac had set up a table and dinner for them both.
"This looks nice," Nikki smiled.
"I wanted to cook for you," Isaac replied.
"You okay? You look nervous."
"I'm... I'm fine. Have a seat."
Nikki sat down and Isaac followed suit. The meal was fairly quiet, probably due to the air of nervous anticipation that hung over them.
"Nikki?"
"Yes?"
"There's.... there's something I have to tell you."
Nikki pushed her empty plate away from her.
"Okay," she said solomnly.
Isaac licked his lips nervously, and Nikki frowned a little seeing his hands shaking.
"Ike? You okay?"
Isaac took a deep breath.
"I'm not... I'm not exactly what you think I am."
"Okay..."
"I'm an alien."
Nikki giggled.
"For real," Isaac went on, expecting that reaction. "My species is called Dathrian. We were on a colony ship headed for another planet in a whole other system, but there was engine failure and we crash landed on earth. At Roswell, to be exact."
"Ahh," Nikki nodded, highly amused. "The fabled weather balloon."
"Uhh, yeah. There were also Semrellians aboard."
"Some-what?"
"Semrellians. They're a sister race. We've got almost identical DNA."
"I see. And you look human because?"
"Our bodies are adaptive. They change form based on our environment. They're human here because the dominant species on Earth is human, so yeah. We've got powers too, like mutants. Sometimes we even masquerade as mutants. It makes things simple for people who don't want to believe in aliens."
"Uh huh. So what powers do you have?"
"Well, all Daths and Sems have atom manipulation, and a speciality power. Mine is telekinesis."
"I see," then Nikki started as Isaac starting using his telekinesis to clean up the table. "Oh! I see!"
Isaac looked down at his plate.
"Okay so... you get points for a well thought out story," Nikki said finally. "But y'know, I'm not anti mutant. You could have just told me you were a mutant. I would have been cool with it."
Isaac looked up at her.
"Umm, I'm not a mutant, Nikki. I'm 100% Dathrian. My parents were children on the colony ship. Little children, but yeah."
"You're an alien?" Nikki asked skeptically.
"Yes."
"I'm... I'm sorry Ike... I... I'm having a little trouble believing this."
"I don't know how to prove it to you in a way you won't think I'm still a mutant."
Nikki grinned suddenly.
"Why don't you keep telling me about yourself, and I'll ask questions trying to break your story. What was that sister race of yours come again?"
"Semrellians."
"And what exactly is the difference between you anyway?"
"Biochemical, mostly. They get drunk on one sip of alchohol, and can get away with two hours of sleep a night. Daths need a full night's sleep like any human or mutant, but alcohol has no effect whatsoever. We get drnk on kero."
"Kero?"
"Kerosene."
Nikki laughed. Isaac's face brightened suddenly.
"I think we might have some actually, hang on."
He rushed out of the basement before Nikki could say a word. Nikki shook her head. Okay, this was certainly an insane tale. Isaac returned a few minutes later with a bottle of kero in his hand.
"What's this?" Nikki asked then read the label " 'Estralon cabarte, 1999'. You're kidding me? Kerosene comes in fine wine style?"
"Hey, alchohol comes in multiple forms, why not kero?" Isaac asked opening the bottle.
He gave it a sniff and nodded. The he poured himself a small glass held it out to her.
"This should smell keroy enough to satisfy you."
Nikki gave it a reluctant sniff and wrinkled her nose.
"Ugh," she said.
Isaac smiled and proceeded to drink. Nikki's eyes widened in alarm.
"Ike!"
Isaac put down the empty glass.
"Yes?"
"Are you crazy?"
"Possibly. It's just occured to me that it's going to take a few more drinks to get drunk. And I don't really enjoying getting drunk. I get such a hang over."
"Oh my god!" Nikki freaked out, knocking her chair backwards as she practically leapt out of her seat.
Isaac caught and steadied the chair telekinetically.
"Nikki," he said softly, party afraid and partly releived he finally got the freak out he had been expecting. "Nikki, being an alien, it doesn't change anything. It doesn't change how I feel about you at all, and I love you. I love you so much, and I... I had to tell you. Things were going so well for us these last few weeks. I wanted you to know. You have a right to know and -"
"Oh my god, is this why you haven't slept with me? Are we even... oh god!" Nikki said backing away from him.
"Nikki, I assure you that my reluctance to sleep with you has nothing to do with being alien," then Isaac paused. "Well, maybe a little. But y'know, it might have been a tad awkward for you to -"
"Oh my god! Oh my god!"
Unable to get another word in, Isaac felt helpless as Nikki fled. Slowly he sat down on the lounge.
Could have been worse. Right?