Warnings: none

As wonderful as the visit to Kosu had been, it had only been a few short days, and Retasu was not yet ready to go home. Sure, there was the inevitable disapproval of many Iaweians, but Pie was there with her, showing her the beautiful things his world had to offer, and that was far more precious to her than any other Iaweian acceptance.

She smiled to herself as she started to climb the stairs toward her temporary bedroom. It wasn't too late, but she wanted to make sure she would get enough rest before departing early the next morning.

"Retasu." She stopped and looked toward the bottom of the stairs. Pie was watching her with an expression that seemed hopeful.

"Pie-san," she said, walking down a few steps. "Uh, have I forgotten something?"

His eyes wandered for a few moments before he settled on a response. "Not that I am aware … Actually, I suppose one could say you've forgotten to say … goodnight …" He trailed off. Retasu smiled warmly. He was nervous about something.

"I suppose one could." She walked down a few more steps to meet him face-to-face. "How forgetful of me." She wrapped her arms around his torso, noticing that his entire body stiffened at her touch. "Goodnight, Pie-san."

He awkwardly placed his hands on her shoulders. "… Yes."

Oh. He was very nervous.

She stepped away from him. "Is … something wrong?"

He shook his head a little. "Not at all, no." His ears started to droop. "I … was only concerned that … my planet may not have met your expectations."

Retasu raised a brow. "Oh, there's no need for concern. This is a beautiful planet, and I've had such a wonderful time here." She smiled. "Especially with you."

That seemed to make things worse, as Pie's face lit up in a harsh crimson. "That's … good to hear."

Retasu watched him with careful eyes. "I'll see you tomorrow then. Goodnight, Pie-san." She started to turn.

"I want you to stay," Pie said quickly. She turned back at him in surprise. Pie's expression became softer, and yet the plea in his eyes became stronger. "I ask you to stay."

Retasu's mouth went dry. "I …" Her face grew warm. "Well, I—I don't think that's up to me …"

Pie's ears drooped a little more.

"Not that I don't want to stay." She fidgeted with the end of one of her braids. "I would love to, actually."

"… Please forgive me. That was reckless of me," Pie muttered.

"N—no! I want to stay." Her face started to flush. What would the others think? She looked back at him. She noticed him swallow nervously. Her eyebrows furrowed.

"I'll let the others know they'll have one less passenger," she said, determined. Pie's eyes widened in surprise as he looked back at her, ears twitching up.

"… Really?"

"Yes. You told me you were returning to Earth soon anyway. You can take me back then." She smiled. "Besides, you promised me you'd show me everything this world had to offer. We've only scratched the surface so far."

He smiled back and scooped her into a hug.

Written in late 2021.