Dudley jumped awake, shaking, his eyes the size of dinner plates, panting. He flopped on top of Keswick, asleep beside him, who suddenly jolted awake with a yelp.

"Dudley?" he struggled to sit up under Dudley's weight, "What's wrong?"

Dudley gave a heavy sob and sniffle, whimpering. He turned up to look at him with big watery eyes. Keswick sighed through his teeth, patting his head.

"I-I-I! I had a nightmare…"

"And?"

He scooted up closer to Keswick's face. "My mom was there and… and first she was yelling bad alien words directed at you, and I mean, I-I don't know any bad alien words but it felt like that's what she was saying…."

Keswick rubbed his arms, "Mhm?"

"And then… and then…" he sobbed, trying to nuzzle himself deeper into Keswick's thin fur, "She…. she says that if I really was gay she'd never love me again. No one would ever love me again. No matter what…."

Keswick hummed lightly. When Dudley opened his eyes again after more heavy sobs, instead of the calm and collected let's-work-through-this-rationally look Keswick always had when Dudley came crying to him that Dudley had come to expect he had…. Empathy.

"...hm." he said after a moment, "Well th-that's not great," he shrugged, "I'm sorry."

Dudley stared in silence for a few moments. "...are you okay?"

Keswick smiled, "Dudley, no. You're the one who had the nightmare."

"But…" he shook his head, "You always have something to say… something to calm me down, something to help…"

Keswick sighed and shrugged, "I don't think your mu-mu-mu-mom would do that."

Dudley smiled sadly, "That it?"

Keswick ran his thumb over Dudley's cheek. "I know h-how you feel and I'm sorry you dr-dr-dreamed that."

Dudley sighed, leaning forward to kiss him before rolling back over. "What do you mean you know how I feel?"

Keswick moved to cuddle with him. "C-c-c-coming out and your parents h-hating you for it. My parents did. That's… why I'm here."

"I thought you said that you were cooking something at work and the stick police exiled you."

"I like trying to make it l-li-lighthearted."

"...so your parents exiled you from the planet?"

Keswick shook his head. "The entire planet was s-s-s-super homophobic. My parents f-f-found out and I g-got chased by police and… c-c-c-came here."

Dudley chuckled, his nightmare almost completely off his mind. He turned over, hugging Keswick. "I can't believe my own boyfriend is a fugitive."

Keswick kissed him, chuckling and smiling. "A-and hey. I- heh- I d-d-doubt your mom would react like that b-b-b-but…. She's wrong. I'll love you f-f-forever."

Dudley sniffled, pulling him closer. "I love you Keswick."

"Mhm?"

"I love you so much…."

"Mm…. I love you t-t-too, Dudley."