Chapter 4: Morning After

"Wait, what? I can't leave Earth!"

Helystn pursed his lips to a tight line and looked away from Bee's troubled gaze. She continued to watch his face, even after he turned away from her, and chewed the inside of her cheek.

"Puppyca-"

/Helystn…/ he interrupted in a quiet whisper, reminding her quickly.

She nodded dumbly and started over. "Helystn, I'm not leaving everybody behind. Not without a reason."

He closed his eyes and sighed. /I know./

Bee blinked and his arms that had been around her waist were gone. She was alone now, in a void of everything surrounding her. She watched the colors of the universe wave and stretch into infinity as her body became heavy. Melting into the nothingness of nowhere, Bee floated away from the lights of the beginning of time into the darkness of consciousness.

/Bee, your arm…/

Bee woke up with a snort and pushed her arm deeper against Helystn's neck causing him to gag.

"Whoops," she coughed groggily, moving her arm off him. "Sorry about that."

They sat up and stretched, feeling more tired than when they had gone to sleep. Helystn glanced at the woman yawning widely for a moment and stood up to go by the window to give her some space and him some room to think. Bee gave him a sad look, a bit upset at the early morning distance, but let him be for once. She got up and began undressing on her way to her dresser, like she did every day. When Helystn turned from the window to glance at Bee, he was startled at the sight of her bare back to him.

Blushing and slack jaw, he continued to stare with steaming ears and shaking shoulders, unable to look away from her smooth skin. Only when Bee began to pull down her shorts over her thighs did he make a strangled noise alerting her of his dilemma. Stepping out of the pink shorts, she looked over her shoulder, confused, to see the red faced young man quivering by the window. Blood draining from her face, she covered her bra clad chest with one arm and began flinging her dirty clothes at him, yelling for him not to look. Pink shorts found themselves on Helystn's hot face who, once the heavy fabric covered his eyes, turned around quickly and gave her some privacy.

When she had fully dressed herself in her baby pink and pastel yellow romper, she turned back to him, yellow and white socks in hand, ready to admonish him. When she saw him still steaming at the ears, hands in his lap though, she lowered her tensed shoulders and sighed.

"I'm done dressing," Bee announced to him, red starting to creep up to her pale cheeks.

Helystn continued to sit straight, unmoving, in front of the window. Bee went up behind him and pursed her lips when she saw her shorts still on his face. She reached over his head and picked off the deep pink hotpants and dropped them next to him where her turtleneck shirt was.

"Helystn."

His pointed ears pricked slightly and Bee watched as his hands clenched in his lap.

"I'm going to go to the market… Want to come with me?"

Swallowing thickly, Helystn turned his head a little bit and connected eyes with Bee. Her brown eyes stared expectantly at his dark black ones. He blinked and looked away.

/It isn't the best option for me to go. I'd draw too much attention./

"But we always go."

/Bee, be reasonable./

"UghHHAgH!" she groaned loudly, grabbing his head, shaking it from side to side.

He took the light abuse with stride, letting her have her temper tantrum. When she slid down behind him, keeping her hands in his hair, he grit his teeth.

"I don't want to lose our friendship. I thought of you as a friend first before I thought of you as a pet."

Bee taps her head against his shoulder blades and leans it there.

"Can we be friends still?"

He hears the fear in her voice and knows her pain of loss. Helystn breathes out his nose before sliding to twist around to face Bee. Her petite hands rest on his knees while his are in his lap.

"Please?"

/I'd never consider not being friends with you./

"…you like being confusing, don't you?"

Helystn cracked a smile and let out a warm chuckle. Bee blinked a few times at that and smiled a little bit too. She got up and outstretched her hand to help him to his feet. He took it and stood up as well.

"We could get something for you to wear while we're out-"

/Leather jacket./

She shook her head and laughed at that and told him that they'd see when they got there.

[AN: It was busy for me in May and June (plus my computer wouldn't connect to any network at home or out). So I now owe you all two additional chapters and the upcoming August chapter. This one will have to do for now, but do know that I haven't forgotten this and that I'm just trying to juggle multiple projects and new ideas all at once. I'll see y'all soon. Bye for now!]