Tenuk purred as he turned himself into a cat then leaped up onto Retvik’s lap, brushing up against him.
“You’re awake! I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean it!”
Retvik didn’t answer at first. He glanced to his left, where a Rethan nurse was standing. The nurse smiled, then came over and undid one of the belts around Retvik’s wrist, allowing him to move his right arm. The nurse then moved away, giving Retvik some space, and Retvik immediately began to pet Tenuk.
“Why are you sorry?” Retvik asked. “I am sorry I got angry.”
Tenuk nuzzled up to Retvik. Retvik felt rough, he hadn’t slept in about 30 hours and he couldn’t really focus on anything, but Tenuk’s presence had quickly made him feel better. Retvik’s body was very tense, and he was trying very hard not to pet Tenuk too hard. Occasionally, Retvik would shudder, seize and shake, as waves of adrenaline would pulse through his veins, however, these pulses had calmed down over the last few hours.
“I made you get angry though…” Tenuk continued to purr. “I made you think I got hurt and that you failed to protect me and you turned hyper-aggressive and nearly tore those poor Temthans apart. I mean, we won the match because of it but you just… I’m sorry…”
Retvik tried to close his eyes, but something was compelling him to keep his eyes open. No matter what Retvik did (not that he could do much, he was strapped to the bed), there was a horrible sensation in the back of his mind that he needed to stay awake, that he was in danger. It took a little too long for Retvik to convince himself that he was fine, that there was no threat here.
“You are very soft.”
Tenuk smiled. “I am. Are you feeling any better, Retvik? The nice Rethan doctor said you were recovering faster than expected!”
“Does not feel like it.”
Retvik’s words were slow. Tenuk wasn’t really sure why, he just assumed that Retvik was on medication or something. Really, Tenuk thought they were just going to pump Retvik with sedatives, but it turned out it was actually safer to just give him very small doses and wait for the adrenaline rush to take its course.
“Well, either way, you’ll be back on your feet soon, right? Although I dunno if we’re gonna get more fights for a while. Then again, Psiksi said this was totally that Jalark guy’s fault and he’s potentially in trouble.”
It took a moment for Retvik to respond. He genuinely couldn’t remember who Jalark was. Most of his memories were incredibly hazy, he could hardly remember anything he did while in his Defensive Stance. Retvik did remember Psiksi though. Psiksi was his small, green, Skyavok friend.
“You saw Psiksi?”
“Yeah, he’s waiting outside. Said this happened before, and he’s been keeping us company. I kinda… insisted that I stay here so I could be with you.”
“I have… been here for a while though.”
“I know. I’ve been waiting outside. Kayel and Nyssi have too. Psiksi has been coming and going too. Mostly me though, I’ve been waiting this whole time until they let me see you.”
Retvik blinked. He tried to close his eyes again, but his brain was telling him he was in danger still. He wasn’t in danger. He was fine. There was no one around apart from the nurse and Tenuk. Retvik was safe but his brain insisted otherwise.
“Why though? Are you not tired?”
Tenuk shrugged, then changed position, curling up on Retvik’s lap so he seemed even cuter but also so he could look directly at Retvik.
“I’m a little tired, but Nyssi keeps on bringing snacks, and I slept on the bench outside while Kayel kept an eye out. I’ve been here the entire time. I feel really bad about what I did to you. Granted, I didn’t think that Heck guy would shoot me in the face, but I thought turning into a cat would calm you down and make you focus on attacking the Temthans instead of us.”
Retvik grunted, not really following what Tenuk was saying. He desperately wanted to sleep, he was hungry too, but the flood of hormones was stopping him from doing so. That being said, Tenuk’s presence was helping greatly.
“It is not your fault. You are just a fluffy kitty.”
“Heh…” Tenuk smiled. “I am. I know that being like this is helpful to you. I’ve been like this so I can help you.”
“You can go back to being Tenuk. If you want. Still fluffy.”
Tenuk paused. “I’ve… kinda… never been pet while being my normal Spast self.”
Retvik shrugged, not having much to say. After a moment of silence, Tenuk turned himself back to normal. Retvik hadn’t noticed that, even as a cat, Tenuk had been wearing a white pair of shorts and a sash that covered his modesty. Tenuk felt somewhat awkward, sitting on Retvik’s lap as he was, and tried to climb off, but Retvik grabbed him by the shoulder, holding him in place.
“Can I pet you?” Retvik asked.
“That is a weird thing to ask a fellow sapient being. I get it, I was a cat, but it’s weird now I’m a Spast.”
“Why?” Retvik looked confused. “Still fluffy.”
“I mean, yeah, I am still fluffy, but asking to pet someone is weird.”
Retvik thought to himself for a moment. “Can I stroke your fur?”
“That is the exact same thing as asking to pet me.”
“It sounds less weird…” Retvik frowned. “Do you not want me to pet you?”
Tenuk hesitated. He did like having his fur played with. Despite Retvik’s size and the fact that he was recovering from turning into an adrenaline-fuelled rage monster, he had been very gentle so far. Almost too gentle. Retvik was clearly scared of hurting Tenuk. Tenuk could tell that he was also currently scared of other things, of monsters in the shadows and in Retvik’s mind, that only Retvik could see.
Eventually, Tenuk relented.
“Alright, you can pet me.”
Retvik smiled weakly, then very, very gently patted Tenuk on the head. However, he didn’t do much else, and quickly put his hand down.
“Is that it?”
“You do not like it. And I do not know where to touch.”
“You can pet me the same way you petted me when I was a cat.”
Retvik hesitated a little. “Do Spasts pet each other?”
Tenuk nodded. “If we’re friends we touch each other all the time. Mostly hugs and snuggles and head pats and sometimes the odd tickle around the ear. I kinda never had friends though. Was too… uh… busy.”
Retvik didn’t move. He looked away, a confused expression on his face. “Can I ask, why did you stay here?”
“Well, why do you think I stayed here?”
Retvik’s eyes zipped across the room. He glanced at the nurse in the corner, before inspecting each of the walls in turn. Tenuk noticed that Retvik wasn’t doing right, and got up and placed his hand on Retvik’s shoulder.
“There’s no monsters in here, Retvik. It’s just you, me and the nurse. You’re perfectly safe.”
“I am the monster in here.”
“Oh, no no no, don’t you say that!” Tenuk exclaimed. “You’re not a monster! You’re a guardian and a protector, you just got a little messed up, but we’re fixing that. But you’re also my friend. My best friend.”
Retvik calmed down, then focused on Tenuk properly. He sighed, then wrapped his arm around Tenuk, holding him tightly.
“I am sorry, Tenuk.”
“It’s alright, Retvik. We’ll get through this together, and you’ll be back to normal in no time!”
Tenuk felt something wet on his shoulder. He quickly realized Retvik was crying. Tenuk hugged Retvik back, nuzzling up against him.
“Thank you, Tenuk…” Retvik sniffed. “Thank you for being my friend.”
“Heh, thank you for being my friend too. Best buddies forever, right?”
Retvik smiled, ever so slightly, as he rubbed his eyes. “Yes, best buddies forever.”