The North Atlantic Ocean, 300 miles of the North coast of Puerto Rico – 6.40pm AST

Why the hell did I agree to do this?

Eric sneered at the two people lounging on deck in the pre-evening sun. Those goddamn fools had made him turn off the engine an hour ago and were now acting like this was some luxury cruise and not an attempt to escape the frigging apocalypse. This was exactly why he practically lived a recluse’s life on his boat, away from ‘civilization’.

“Stop it.”

Eric glanced over his shoulder to find Aaron entering the bridge. The ginger with the sparkling green eyes and perfect cheekbones threw Eric a sly grin as he approached.

“I know you don’t like we picked up those stragglers in Key West, but you’ve gotta stop being such a sourpuss about it, Blue-Eyes,” he said. “You’ll get frowny wrinkles on that gorgeous face of yours.”

Aaron snaked his arms around Eric’s waist and planted a sweet kiss on his neck. Eric leaned back against Aaron’s muscular chest, taking comfort in his touch. He still couldn’t believe their relationship had grown from colleagues, to friends, to lovers. Then again, maybe it wasn’t a surprise. For months on end, they’d been each other’s only company. That their love had bloomed on the Venus seemed only fitting.

“I’m sorry,” said Eric. “I can’t stand them.”

“I can’t either. That guy’s a pompous ass, and I’m pretty sure the wife has had every operation a plastic surgeon offers. The only decent one seems to be the goth fourteen-year-old, but she scares the shit out of me, walking around like some angel of death.”

“Tch, we should’ve left them in San Salvador. I don’t care about the other five hundred grand. I just want them off the Venus, even we maroon them on the next patch of land we see.”

“Lord, how did I ever fall for such a cruel man?” Aaron laughed and leaned his forehead against Eric’s shoulder.

“I’m not cruel, I’m practical,” reacted Eric. “They’re an inconvenience. Besides, we might not need the money anymore. We could all be dead by the end of the month.”

He regretted saying it as soon as the words left his mouth. Aaron stiffened behind him. Slowly, he unlocked Eric from his embrace and stepped away from their position at the helm. Eric turned to watch his partner sit at the monitors, his expression sullen. He groaned silently. Fan-freaking-tastic. All right, time for some damage control then.

“Aaron, I–”

“Why do you always have to be such a pessimist?” asked Aaron, looking up at him from his seat. “Can’t you just, for once, believe that things might not be as bad as they seem?”

“There is a giant alien spacecraft hovering over the East Coast. How can I not think the likely scenario is we’re all gonna die?”