They're all sitting in the shareroom, nervous energy weighing the atmosphere down. While Engine doesn't care, a little bundle perfectly content to be cradled in Shouta's middle limbs, Lamp has darted back into Toshinori's ship as soon as her tongue flicked the air, clicking in front of the scullery door until the Oen•foaal had let her in.
Shouta eyes Toshinori's sheepish pose. He still can't believe Toshinori buys his mèos fresh agki meat when his own plate is so bare. Shouta himself didn't eat that well every cycle. Lamp was probably looking for one last bite before she had to go back to her usual—premium—wet food.
Thankfully, Toshinori doesn't notice the way Tensei won't stop glancing at the hatch separating their two ships, absorbed in a conversation with Hizashi. Shouta's keeping an eye on the hatch too, but at least he's discreet. "By the way, did you change the oxygen level?"
(They had barely managed to dock the clipper onto Shouta and his partner's ship, catching it at the end of its maintenance run cycle, right before it was about to return to Toshinori's ship. His partner had only just managed to usher Shinsou into the scullery when Toshinori had rushed inside to greet them.
Shouta doesn't like that they left the Human all alone on his ship, without supervision. Nothing prevents them from wandering around and damaging important equipment. He could be stinking Shouta and his partner's resting quarters right at this very moment and Shouta wouldn't know.)
Toshinori flusters at the question, his feelers lowering to feel Hizashi's head, only to stop and back away right as they're about to touch skin.
"A-ah, you noticed, young Hizashi?" He looks away, ducking his head to let out a few wheezing breaths. "It's better for my wound. The expense makes it worth it."
Four pairs of eyes turn to stare incredulously at Toshinori. He has never once admitted his injury bothered him, or let them know about the supplementary measures he had to take to compensate and facilitate his life. Having him take care of all the info gathering had only worked because Hizashi and him had begged him to take care of Lamp and Engine when they had been on a particularly dangerous mission. Him finally caving in and living in a more oxygenated environment instead of the usual oen•foaal atmosphere that always leave Shouta breathless is almost a miracle.
"Are you dying? You'd tell us if you were dying, right?" Nemuri signs, a little frantic. Shouta can't deny that he's worried too; Toshinori's laugh has never been quite the same since his injury, but has it always been that weak?
Toshinori quickly waves his limbs to dispel the notion, feelers standing straight up in shock. "N—no, I only had a, a wake up call, you might say." His hand ghosts over his wound. He adds with a wince, "And Shuzo is very convincing."
Shouta tilts his head in sympathy. She's truly a force to be reckoned with.
Toshinori suddenly takes a more serious pose, folding his claws over each other. "I want to apologize to you, young Hizash. I should have investigated what organizations were flying around your quadrant. If I had known, if I had warned you…"
He trails off, bending in the middle as if the misplaced guilt he's been carrying has finally taken its toll on his body.
Hisashi pats Toshinori's forelimbs. It leaves specks of green blood over his fur. "Don't be an idiot, yeah? None of this was your fault. Or your responsibility, for the matter."
"I'm sorry. You're the one who went through this horrible experience, and yet I'm the one getting comforted." Toshinori clasps Hizashi's shoulder, his paw engulfing half of his torso. "I'm overjoyed you have been found. If you need anything, I'm always there for you. All of you."
They would have stayed like that for longer if they weren't interrupted by a resounding crash in the scullery, where Lamp had run off to.
"Sorry about Lamp. I hope she hasn't been too much trouble," Shouta signs. He wants to go back to his ship and pretend the Human doesn't exist, nap with Hizashi, but it doesn't mean he isn't grateful for what Toshinori has done.
"It's really no problem. I quite enjoy spending time with your mèos. They keep me company, make my ship livelier." A loud thump. Toshinori stands up, and Shouta hadn't imagined it, his laugh has a breathier quality to it. "Let me bring you some snacks while I go check on what, what she's doing."
Shouta goes to join him—he isn't going to let Lamp destroy Toshinori's ship and do nothing about it—but the Oen•foaal pushes him back down, feelers twitching in protest.
"You need to rest. Let me." Shouta goes to sign something, but Toshinori cuts him off. "Indulge this elder."
He's off, feelers fretting nervously as he anticipates the damage done to his scullery. Shouta grimaces at the reminder of Toshinori's age. He isn't that old—for an Oen•foaal at least—and he has a long time in front of him, but every time Shouta tries to remind him that he's far from an elder, he only nods indulgently, a limb twitching toward his wound.
"She got it from you," Hizashi signs.
Shouta's tail still. When it's obvious Hizashi isn't going to add anything else, he decides to be a good partner and take the bait—
"What are you talking about?"
—and immediately regrets it when Hizashi's sparse crest slowly rises in glee. He hisses a warning, but Hizashi flicks his tail innocently.
"Your kit's a troublemaker, love." Hizashi crows, singsigning and hopping away from Shouta's light swat.
His ears pull back. Because of Purple's comment, he's going to be teased about this until the end of time. "If anything, Lamp got it from you."
Hizashi squawks in outrage, beating his wings overdramatically. Nemuri's head hits Tensei's limb when she bends over too fast, hands laughing too close to the E'nGnum's face if the way he's leaning away is anything to go by, but amusement still lines the tired curve of his back. "You're not even denying that Lamp's your kit."
Shouta's saved from answering Tensei when Toshinori reenters the room with an assortment of fruits and cuts of meat. Lamp is perched on his shoulder, his flabby loose skin giving her several footholds. She leaps onto Shouta, who has to catch her before she goes tumbling down. Somehow, she looks smug, even though the only reason she hasn't crashed face first into the floor is because of Shouta's quick thinking.
Toshinori waits until everyone has picked up something to eat. "I found out some information about"—his feelers twitch toward Shouta's partner—"Overhaul's plan for young Hizashi." His gestures are small, tight against his core, as if signing louder could summon the alien. When he's certain Hizashi isn't distraught by the news—they had told him on the clipper—he continues, "There was supposed to be a trap." Dread starts to pool in Shouta's scarf when Toshinori sends him an apologetic gesture. "There were… schematics. About… combining… the best parts of different species. Together."
Tensei stands up in shock, his piece of fruit dropped on the floor. "Is he still after them?"
Shouta wounds his scarf tighter around Hizashi's waist. He knows his species is sometimes sought after, for the simple fact that Eer'ahseers usually don't travel this far out in the galaxy. It makes him a rare acquisition for taxidermy collectors or poachers. Or scientists. He almost got Hizashi worse than killed.
Toshinori shakes the numbness out of his wrists. "You don't have to worry about him anymore. I took care of it."
"He has a lot of connections with powerful people," Nemuri reminds him. "No charge will stick."
"I took care of him," Toshinori repeats. "He's never coming back. I made sure of it."
Shouta's fur slowly puffs out as he gapes at Toshinori. That almost sounded like—
The Oen•foaal signs with a slightly more defensive tone, "He hurt a lot of people."
"And… you're okay?" Hizashi asks, his skin all bumpy from surprise. Toshinori, like the majority of his kind, has a distaste for killing. His rigid stance and complete refusal to kill in the beginning had initially been a point of contention between him and Shouta, until he learned that it's one of the only beliefs Toshinori can carry, one of his only connections to his almost wiped out species.
Toshinori's words are slow, serious, well thought before he signs them. "I didn't see any other choice that would have ended better than this. You don't have to worry about me. I have people I can talk to."
Nemuri interjects, waving at the air and Toshinori's wound. "Did you get injured? Is this why you need more oxygen?"
"Oh, no, I stayed back while… trusted individuals were raiding Overhaul's base. I only came in when they gave the all clear. To help my—some of the—the remaining victims. And assure his death." He makes a crushing gesture with his hands and immediately grimaces with regret. He turns to Shouta, feelers drooping softly. "I had Lamp and Engine waiting for me. I couldn't risk my life and leave them behind."
Shouta brings Toshinori's head down until he can give him a soft bump, careful to avoid his feelers. "Thank you."
Toshinori seems to understand he isn't only thanking him for taking care of his mèos.
Afterwards, the rest goes on in a blur. They finish the plate, the easy conversation floating around Shouta, trying to cocoon him in a peaceful blanket. If it weren't for the Deathworlder waiting in his ship, Shouta would have fallen asleep. Hizashi senses his agitation and starts rounding it up. They give their goodbyes and promise to see each other soon, Toshinori handing Hizashi a small basket with various creams and soaps. When he starts to explain how to apply them on his partner's featherless skin, Shouta turns away to give them some privacy. He doesn't think Hizashi would mind him listening, but Toshinori is already uncomfortable when people stare at his missing patches of fur for too long. Having Shouta know how he has to use special soap because of them when Toshinori only intends to share the information with Hizashi would be rude.
After a few moments, Toshinori makes a noise to get Shouta's attention, a grateful curve to his feelers. "I won't disturb your time with Hizashi any longer. You can stay docked as long as you need."
Hizashi slumps in relief when the hatch closes between them and Toshinori. "Okay, I don't think he suspects anything."
Lamp tries to squirm out of his scarf, but Shouta doesn't let her scamper off like she usually does. He doesn't want her to be alone with the Deathworlder. Scratching her side earns him aggravated clicks, but she settles down after he chids her.
"Are you really going to be alright with the Human?" Tensei asks. "I can stay here longer."
Hizashi lets himself fall on Tensei. "My Purple friend isn't going to kill us, I swear. Besides, I'm sure kit Tenya misses you."
Tensei doesn't sign anything, but he relaxes at the dismissal. "I'll holovid you when I get home."
Shouta locks his mèos in his resting quarters, where the Human won't be able to get to them without breaking down the door, and heads to the scullery.
The Human's still in there. It doesn't look like they moved, and the door doesn't have any new log. They give a small wave with their upper limb, muttering something in their human dialect when Nemuri and Tensei get back in the clipper. Tensei will drop Nemuri at her secret base, ditch the clipper at a shipyard, and then go to his home colony.
Hizashi and he are alone with the Human. Great.
"How do Humans usually wash up?"
Shinsou blinks slowly, the cogs in his brain turning slower than usual. "Water?"
Hizashi gestures at him to follow him, bringing him to their washroom. He should have guessed. He doesn't think Humans are advanced enough to have the sonic washer Shouta prefers—Hizashi tried it once and almost threw up from the way the strong pulses of air and energy had ruffled his feathers, never again—and Shinsou's naked skin didn't look prone to sand.
Shinsou's focusing intently when he shows him how to use the toilet and the faucet knobs. He makes Shinsou put a bit of Toshinori's hypoallergenic soap on the skin of his inner upper limb, only allowing him to use it when he's pretty sure Shinsou won't have any allergic reaction to it.
The Human shifts his weight from lower limb to lower limb, giving him a small rocking motion. He plays with the ear plugs and the pan—to pour water over himself since the tub is too shallow. His eyes keep flicking around the room in a way Hizashi has come to learn means he's on edge.
Right, Hizashi's 'pack' now, isn't he? He should be keeping watch while Shinsou's naked and vulnerable. "I'll wait right outside, yeah? Knock on the floor if you need anything. And don't let water get in your ear!" he reminds him once again.
He places the new garments they found in the clipper near the old bed covers Shinsou needed to dry himself. The garments are from the previous clipper's owner, an Afs'A. Shinsou only has to tie nonstick bandages around his waist and it fit pretty well if anyone were to ask Hizashi. They show the lower half of Shinsou's lower limbs, as well as the ends of his upper limbs, and the holes where he threads his upper limbs through are big enough to see his flank, but Shinsou doesn't seem to mind it much. They found another similar garment, so Shinsou should have plenty of things to wear.
One last encouraging chirp and he shuts the door. He hopes Shinsou doesn't take too long. Hizashi's tail is really itchy, and he really needs to humidify it. It's just his chance that his ecdysis happened while he was captured.
Shouta needs to wash too. Hizashi enjoys being held and kept close to his bondmate, but he'll definitely enjoy it even more when they're both clean. And less itchy.
A single claw comes up and starts scratching at the base of his wing, in one of the most difficult spots to reach by himself.
"What are we going to do with Engine and Lamp? They can't stay cooped up for long." Shouta's light scratching is bliss, the way he smooths and realigns the few feathers he has, and occasionally rubs away his tiny feather sheaths. They probably shouldn't do this in the hallway, where his feather dust will be more difficult to clean up, but right now, Hizashi doesn't care. He will nip Shouta if his mate stops.
"Shinsou won't kill them. He told me a lot of Humans have pets. "
His mate unfolds his wing to inspect his bruises. His tail has come to wrap around Hizashi's, who has to swallow his disgust when Shouta's fur and skin gets caught against his peeling scales. "Are you sure his definition of a pet and our definition of a pet is the same?"
"Yeah, well, he said some people use them to hunt, or guard their homes, or as transportation, but they're mostly there for companionship."
"He might be okay with Lamp, but what about Engine? Are you sure his instincts won't make him try to attack her?"
Hizashi—Hizashi hadn't thought of that. He takes a moment to consider Shinsou's behaviour, pushes through the initial instinct to shy away from the reminder of his vulnerable state. "I don't think he would. He helped me even when I was useless. Back with the Feczoits. Even with others, when he had to fight, I heard he was lenient toward the smaller aliens."
The floor vibrates in a way that indicates Shinsou got out of the tub and is dressing up. A long exhale tickles his face, brings his attention back to Shouta. Their foreheads knock against each other. "I'll trust your judgment, Hizashi."
It doesn't comfort him. If anything, it actually raises his anxiety a notch. He hopes his bondmate's faith isn't misplaced. He's indebted to Shinsou, but if he hurts Engine or Lamp—or worse, Shouta—he won't hesitate to send him out the airlock, life debts and everything. "We'll make a supervised meeting, yeah?."
The door slides open, interrupting their moment, A wave of heat washes over them, almost as hot as the dry seasons of his home planet. And Hizashi loves his bondmate, but he's so itchy, he's been preventing himself from clawing his tail for forever. He rushes in the washing room, not bothering to close the door—unlike Shouta, and apparently Shinsou, Hizashi's more used to washing with other people and having preening circles afterwards.
He dives right in the tub, only taking the time to take his bonding bracelet off and put it on the side of the tub. He tweaks the water until it's just right, and after the initial sting of his wound fades, he feels like he can dissolve right then and there. The water lapping at his naked skin is so weird, but not bad weird. He doesn't get why Shouta hates wetting his scarf that much if this is how it feels. He flaps his wings, flaring his few feathers to shake off the blood and grime, but he has to resign himself to use Toshinori's soap for youngs over the rest of his naked skin when flailing around doesn't really get rid of anything. It takes three refills before the water stops turning cloudy, and by then, almost all of his energy is depleted. He makes sure his tail is fully submerged before letting his head rest on the side of the tub, closing his eyes and simply enjoying the warm water.
Shouta and Shinsou don't come in, instead standing awkwardly beside each other. They aren't Hizashi's problem right now. They can interact without his input.
He can't wait to sleep in his cot. The cell's floor hasn't been agreeable to his body.
When the water becomes too cold to endure, he forces himself out of the tub, trying to quickly make his way to an unused bed cover Shinsou had left him, shivering so much that his beak starts clattering. It would be faster to use the dryer function in the sonic wash, but Hizashi prefers suffering soaking wet than to go in there.
His bondmate abandons Shinsou to take the bed cover. He starts patting him dry, replacing it with his scarf when Hizashi's upper body is completely dry. Hizashi whistles appreciatively when Shouta rubs circles over his tail, using the fabric's roughness to help his ecdysis along, his dead scales now soft enough to peel away in long strips.
Shouta lays him on the dry side of the bed cover, bumps their foreheads together, and then goes to his sonic washer. Shinsou's looking away while he stands guard outside the room, and Hizashi waves at him when he jumps in surprise at the sonic washer's sudden loud noise and whips his head toward the cause of his startle. It reassures him, or at least Hizashi thinks it does, as the last thing he sees before Shouta closes the door is Shinsou going back to staring down the halls.
Shouta is done in under 90 clicks, shaking himself and putting his ear plugs back in their respective container. His fur is softer, and most importantly, it isn't itchy, doesn't leave greasy streaks over Hizashi's skin when Shouta rubs his cheek against his.
Shouta runs the end of his scarf over his scales, tracing them with his claw. "What do you want to do? Sun? Nap?"
Hizashi opens the door and almost jumps when he meets Shinsou's eyes. He looks a lot better after washing—his skin is a healthy pink instead of the washed out almost-grey, his fur's visibly brighter even through the darker shade all fur become when wet, his usual flare weighted down by water but for the shorter strands sticking out comically. His features are a little bit softer too, like the water eroded the edges. "Let's introduce you to our mèos." His heart aches for his sunlamp, but if he reports this any longer, Hizashi's going to fall over from the anxiety.
They relocate to the shareroom, where the open space will make it easier for Shouta or Hizashi to intervene in case something happens. Not that Hizashi thinks something will happen.
Shouta hesitates a click, before heading to their resting room to fetch Engine, steps quicker than usual. He's back right as Shinsou finished hanging his old wet garments on the ledge of a table, Engine held against his chest. Shinsou''s attention is immediately drawn to her when she lets out a small noise.
"Shinsou."
"Hm?" he says, eyes fixed on Engine. His fingers flex, like he wants to grab her. Shouta's ears pull back and his limbs bend, ready to run away at the slightest sign of danger.
"She's fragile, okay? You can't handle her like you do with human pets." He mimes petting her. "Gentle."
Shinsou shakes his head in agreement. "Gentle," he repeats. "I know. Small little—" he says a garbled human word, but Hizashi's feathers can't quite catch enough for it to be understandable. "So little, so small, I am gentle."
Slowly, Shouta lowers Engine to the floor, a few tails away from Shinsou, who immediately crouches, one hand stretched out to her, fingers and talons tucked safely in his palm. A litany in Shinsou's human dialect is whispered, only noticed because Hizashi can see his lips move in the same pattern. He's cooing , Hizashi realizes with a jolt.
Engine waddles toward Shinsou, catching herself before she loses her balance in her excitement. He turns to Hizashi, eyebrows tilted to the side. "Hurt? Engine is hurt?"
"No, she's just a bit more wobbly than other mèos. It doesn't hurt." Shinsou turns back to her, his eyes going soft again. He beckons her with his human cooing, voice going up a higher frequency in the same way one might talk to their young.
Shouta's scarf hovers over Shinsou and his beloved pet, ready to intervene at the slightest hint of provocation.
But Shinsou doesn't move to touch her, even when it's obvious he wants to. He lets her flick her tongue over his hand first, and when she ducks under his still hand to rub herself on his upper limb, he looks up at Hizashi and Shouta. Only when Hizashi agreement-shake his head does he start petting her, only using one light finger to touch her head, scratching lightly behind her ears. He uses the softer pad of his digit, and by her small bruxing and eye boggling, she appreciates the attention.
He looks absolutely endeared by her, keeping that gentle expression even when she starts scraping her tiny teeth nubs over his wrists.
Shouta has to wave his scarf to get his attention. His bondmate doesn't hold as much tension as before, so Hizashi counts it as a win, mentally doing a small victory dance at another good interaction. "Lamp is more shy. She'll be hiding away from you. Be careful where you step. And where you sit down. She likes to go under pillows."
They watch Shinsou let her climb over his hind limbs while he waves a longer part of his garment around to amuse her for a while, Shouta a lot more intensely than Hizashi, his tail flicking back and forth as if he's trying to unravel a mystery. It's interesting, and he doesn't want to interrupt the moment, but—
"Sun lamp," he blurts out, "let's continue this near my sun lamp."
It's more of a sun room than a sun lamp at this point, their 'hard earned' income allowing them to modify a small room previously used as a nav office—the overhead lights had been replaced with UVB bulbs, the walls refurbished with screens to give the illusion of being in one of Hizashi's home desert, and half of the room was now at a lower level than the rest, lined with a heat mat and topped with enough sand that Hizashi could burrow himself completely. Two comfortable shaped rocks Hizashi could lie on were placed on each end of the pit. The other half had pools of shade so Shouta could hide before he burned his scarf and nose.
The sun lamp Shouta had gifted him was still in there though, propped next to his favorite rock.
Shouta catches Engine when she's in the middle of a leap, eyeing Shinsou's reaction and relaxing when all the Human does is brush himself off, not a hint of upset from having Engine taken from him.
On the way to the sun room, Hizashi catches Shinsou craning his neck to look around for Lamp, a small skip to his steps. He even tries to sign to Shouta, albeit stiltedly, that his mèo is very cute.
Shouta doesn't answer, but he also doesn't show any indication of hostility, so Hizashi's not going to intervene. His mate has never been great with small talk, even worse with strangers.
They get to the sun room in no time. While Shouta applies sunscreen over his scarf, Hizashi turns to Shinsou. "Do you need some? It's to not burn."
As far as he knows, Humans aren't immune to fire, so it isn't that far of a stretch to think they would get sunburnt as much as anyone else in the galaxy. Especially with how much of their skin is exposed.
Shinsou accepts the offer, slathering his uncovered skin, putting several layers over his face, his ears, and his neck in well practiced movements. Hizashi had been right then. He wonders what Humans usually use on their deathworld. Mud?
Unfortunately, he's pulled out of his musing when Shouta starts rubbing the sunscreen on his back and wings. It should feel good, to have his bondmate touch him, but the texture is as horrible as he remembers. The last time he had to put some on was several centuries ago, and yet no one has invented sunscreen that wasn't so sticky, and greasy yet. At least it dried a lot quicker than when he was a hatchling, but impatience still nips his ankles while he waits. The only thing staying his wing are the memories of returning home with sand sticking everywhere.
He does his front himself—his enthusiasm abates even further when he gets to his neck—careful to avoid his wounds. The bandages will act as physical barriers from the UVB rays.
When his wings don't stick anymore, Hizashi rushes in his sand pit, jumping over to his rock. It's toasty, almost too hot against his naked skin, but it warms his muscles, spreads to the inside of his bones. He positions himself so his tail can hang in the sand. Everytime he flicks it, the grains roll over his scales, getting rid of the more stubborn flakes of dead skin, stuck in between his scales and in harder-to-reach places. He could stay here forever.
Shouta is lounging on a soft pillow with Engine, his scarf unraveled in a sunspot, his eyewear protection in place—yellow, courtesy of Hizashi. What can he say? He loves seeing his bondmate in his colours.
Hizashi hasn't noticed when Shouta has put his bonding necklace on but he has it on now. The colourful beads line his neck in a way that makes something well up Hizashi's chest, intense enough to hurt.
To distract himself, he beckons Shinsou to come closer. The Human enjoyed the modeling compound, didn't he? "Come, touch the sand. Do you have this on your planet?"
"Yes." Shinsou edges closer, hovers his hand over the sand. He glances at Hizashi, as if to confirm he's really allowed, and when Hizashi gives him the go ahead, he buries his hand, spreading it to let sand fall in between his fingers. Hizashi lets his eyes close, ready to fall asleep and let Shouta wake him when the sunscreen's time limit runs out. He already feels so much better, the lead in his chest getting chipped away. He doesn't think the UVB lights can act that quickly, but the bright room, the sand shifting around his tail, his town peeking over the horizon, it's enough.
If he tilts his head just so, blurs his vision until the sand melts into the metal floor, he can pretend he's on his home planet with Shouta, visiting his flock. That the kidnapping and the escape and everything in between has simply been a nightmare he just woke up from.
A/N: If you find typos or weird grammar, just leave a comment and I'll fix it :) Tell me what you think! I appreciate everyone who has left a review 3