I walk along a sidewalk soaked in the downpour. The rain drums rhythms on my aged black umbrella as passerby dash ahead of me, desperate for a roofed solace. I feel a homey warmth in the thick scent of dew and the chilly breeze brushing over my head. Another person jogs through the scattered puddles; their antennae drenched in the rain.

 “Hey!” They shout. “Do you have a spare umbrella? I forgot mine at home this morning, I thought we’d have a sunny day!”

 I chuckle, what a silly thought, they must not have lived here for very long. “This is the only one I’ve got, sorry! We can share this one if you don’t mind walking with me.”

 “Sure! I’ve gotta go this way anyways,” They stick out their hand and I bump it twice with mine.

 Even through the rain, they smell quite boyish. I warm up to it quickly and find it to be a little pleasant. His fondness of my scent appears on his face. I realize the apparent one-person design of my umbrella as he squeezes himself underneath it. I can feel his heat against the chilling air.

 “Ngupapa,” He says through shuddered breath. “Of Mbaku.”

 “Mbaku? What has you so far from home?”

 He shivers as he dries under my umbrella. “Better job opportunities here. I couldn’t find anything I liked in the sea of industrial work, so I moved to, well, the seaside.” He laughs a little.

 “I ‘sea’,” We both snicker. “I’m Tunguhongushpotuposh of Qatu, but you can just call me Tuposh.”

 “That’s a beautiful name, do you like to sing?”

 “Thank you,” My face feels a little hot. “I used to love it when I was younger, hence the name, but I haven’t had much of a chance to do it these days.”

 He makes an interested "hmph", and a savory scent becomes apparent in the air, like someone was preparing fresh bread from a market on the streets.

 I begin to gaze at him curiously. What does “hmph” mean?

 I shiver as the wind picks up. He gives me a surprised look, and I realize I’ve stepped closer to him on accident, as though this wind pushed me closer. We both sidestep away, apologizing through nervous breaths.

 I take in a raspy breath. “So,” I exhale, my heart beating over the chatter of the rain. “Is Ngupapa your short name?”

 “It’s just my name,” He sighs, as though this question was not a new one. “It was the only thing I could focus on at that time. I live by it.”

 “Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to bring a bad memory up or anythi-”

 “It’s okay! I get that it’s weird here, don’t worry about it,” He interrupts. “I was thinking though, maybe you could show me some of your singing?”

 The thought of singing at all anymore embarrassed me, especially in front of someone. I felt bad, though. I felt as though I owed it to him for this minor interrogation of mine. Why do I feel so strongly about this? He said not to worry. Stop worrying!

 “Um,” I say after a hesitant sigh. “Sure, we’re near my house anyways. Just as a warning, I am a little rusty.”

 “I’m sure your humility about it is as strong as you are polite.”

 The savory smell radiates from the both of us and overpowers the dew of the rain. Our pace slows to a stop, and we stare at each other as the world comes to a halt. I can barely hear his wings flutter slightly over the sound of my now-pounding heart. His arms wrap around my body and gently over my wings, and he pulls me into his irradiating warmth as our mandibles click against each other. I tilt my head and a shock goes through my body as our antennae finally touch.

 “My house,” I have to take another heavy breath. “Is this way.”

 We continue to walk down the sidewalk, and as my neighborhood comes into view the smell of fresh bread starts to transform into something more sugary, as if someone just finished baking the sweetest cookies and opened a window at their house; not a single window we saw was open.

 We arrive at my house and I slowly close the door behind me, not taking a second glance off of Ngupapa.

 We embrace each other again, and he whispers closely, “I’ll make sure you sing all night.”

 He grabs my torso from under my wings and picks me up, and as I hover weightlessly in his arms, he unclips my robe and casts me onto my bed like I’m some sort of object in his path. I lay vulnerable, sprawled across my sheets as I see him remove his robe. His body painted a history of fights, old scars tattered along his chest and shoulders. His growing shaft casts a shadow over me, and the sweet aroma suffocates the air. Two of his arms grab hold of my legs, spreading them further apart. He leans forward, grazing his antennae on mine once more, before slowly pushing himself deep inside me.

 I feel every ridge rub up against my guts like they’re perfectly pieces to my puzzle. I can’t contain my noise as he rams against me. I can feel my insides start to convulse and tighten, and I feel his breath get heavier, pushing everything he has into every corner of me.

 “P-please,” I say through exasperated breaths. “I want it all. Give it to me, please! Paazhopapatuf!”

 Suddenly, he rips out of me, picking me up once more and pushing me against the wall. He doesn’t say a word, but his eyes read “I’ll give you more!”, and gravity pushes him all the way inside me again. My mind begins to numb, and the only emotion I feel across my entire body is want, desire, paazh.

 My body twitches and shakes at every thrust he makes, and time starts to slow down again as I feel him throb. As I fall, he pulls me down for one final thrust. I scream in pleasure as my insides squeeze and eject my eggs onto the floor while his fluids fill me up.

 He carries me back to my bed and gently puts me down, but doesn’t lay next to me.

 “I’m sorry, I need to go,” His tone seems different now; it’s more frantic.

 “Could we at least cuddle?” My body begins to ache for his warmth I felt just a little bit ago.

 “No, I-” He paces, arms tense in the air. “Listen I’m sorry, I really enjoyed this but I need to go now.”

 I didn’t know what to feel. Just a second ago we were enjoying each other. What did I do? Why is he leaving so suddenly? I want him. I want him to stay.

 Before I finish my last thought he opens the door. I am barely able to stammer out, “When can I see you again?”

 He sighs. “The next sunny day in Qatu.”