Teekay gently opened the door, not sure what to expect. He’d been away for over two weeks, far longer than he had anticipated. It turned out his former colleagues really, really needed his help, as few people knew how to properly deal with a deity. Teekay didn’t know either but he at least had prior experience.
The issue was that he had just left everything as it was. He’d not had a chance to sort things out at home, and left the place in a mess. Which was why he was pleasantly surprised when he walked inside and found his house to be spotlessly clean. With dinner on the table.
It suddenly occurred to Teekay had he had left his boyfriend completely alone in his house for two weeks without money or much food.
“Uh, hi dear…” Teekay muttered as he wandered in. Elkay was lying on the pile of cushions that took up the centre of the room, watching something on a small screen. Or at least he had been. Clearly Elkay had fallen asleep and the screen had fallen out of his hands and between the cushions next to him. “Oh… Elkay… You’re asleep…”
Elkay wasn’t asleep for much longer. At the mention of his name, Elkay sat bolt upright then looked around, as if trying to remember where he was. Once he had orientated himself, he rubbed his eyes and turned toTeekay.
“How was work?”
“It was… fine…” Teekay couldn’t think of a better word to describe what had happened. “Nothing too bad at least. Are you alright?”
Elkay picked himself up then headed over to the dining table. “I thought you would be here earlier… What time is it?”
Teekay glanced at his wristband. “Nine at night.”
“You were much later than I expected…” Elkay sighed. “I predicted you would return at six, we would have dinner together then maybe watch something…”
“Sorry…” Teekay muttered. “Turns out everyone needed me for a bunch of little annoying things before I left. You offer help for one thing and it never ends… You though…” Teekay changed the subject. “You look exhausted.”
For a brief moment, both Elkay and Teekay somewhat forgot that Elkay wasn’t a Skyan, but a rather short (and admittedly very attractive) Rethavok.
“I… am…” Elkay admitted. “I cleaned everything from top to bottom and prepared a week’s worth of meals for you. It is the least I can do for you letting me stay here…”
“Oh…” Teekay paused, then smiled a little. “I see you are in one of those moods then? Willing to do whatever I ask?”
Elkay tutted, then sat down at the table. “No. Not really. I am just a little… delirious right now. I mean, I did just wake up. But since you left, I realised I have been changing.”
Teekay blinked, not sure how to answer.
“It is not your fault. At first I did not know what was happening. But after the first few days, with me being here on my own, I noticed that without your influence, I was changing back into my old Rethan self. I… did not like it though. When I heard you were coming back, my body immediately started changing back to how I was before you left.”
“Wait…” Teekay raised his hands awkwardly, not really understanding what Elkay was saying. “Are you saying that you’re basically a shapeshifter and you unconsciously change into different species based on the environment you’re in and who you spend time with?”
“That is a far simpler way of putting it, but yes…” Elkay sighed. “But… the more I think about it, the more I feel… I am happier to be a strange Rethan-Skyan hybrid. I am happier now. And I am even happier now you have returned!”
Teekay dropped his things on the ground, smiling. He rushed over to Elkay and put his arms around him.
“You’re so over-dramatic, you know that, right?” Teekay beamed.
“We are over-dramatic together!” Elkay smiled back, hugging Teekay tightly. “I am so glad you are home.”