Tender
The blue and orange wearing Haven stumbled next to a massive tree, covering up his bleeding and breathing, while the yellow and black wearing Lomana followed with a scowl.
“You’re going to get yourself killed trying to save everything you see! Fool...”
Haven turned to her with a grimace. His battered, marred arms carried a shivering, small alien nestling to his warm body. The pale orange feline being slowly calmed against his rich blue outfit.
“I didn’t go in willy-nilly. I had a plan, thought up the odds, and knew I’d take this little guy and me alive.”
“With me helping you.”
“Even better odds,” he smiled cheekily.
Lomana scoffed and applied thick green goo to heal his wounds despite Haven’s gritting teeth and stomping the ground.
“Oh, relax, you baby,” Lomana smirked. “It’s just med-gel. How on earth you don’t stop after those trident attacks but flinch and groan from medicine is beyond me.”
Haven shrugged. “Didn’t think I was that hurt back there. I just wanted it safe.” He paused and his voice lowered. “And you know what they do to anything that can’t fight back.”
Lomana exhaled and pushed that thought away while she bandaged the arm with faint touches to avoid aggravating the sensitive parts. She was frustrated by his behavior, and she was frustrated by herself when she struggled to act like him. What did he gain from this?
“Haven,” she probed. “What if… this was your last rescue?”
Haven look perplexed and ruminated on what she meant.
“I don’t know. It’s not a bad way to die. Saving others, y’know. I’d just do more good if I was alive.”
Lomana smiled, accepting that answer for now. She finished bandaging him and leaned close to his shoulder. Her hand gently reached for the alien, causing it to startle, but it eased as Haven’s soft hand rubbed its ear. Her free hand held onto Haven’s recovering wound as she pet the unknown being.
“I hope it’s not the last one,” Lomana said. “Even if it’s sapient, it’s too young to talk to us. We will have to find a trusted place where its family can find it.”
Haven nodded with a long face. He never saw himself as a caregiver, yet abandoning this new youth pained his heart, even if it sounded logical. Lomana sensed this anxiety and leaned her head next to his. The three sat in huddled warmth underneath the towering tree’s protection as sunlight dimmed. The alien rested with steady breaths and chirped softly with an ear flicking. Both saw the action and chuckled, taking turns watching for threats and petting the newcomer.
“I think Chirp’s a good name for now,” Lomana cooed. “Short and sweet.”
Haven agreed and made little falsetto chirping sounds, causing Lomana to snort and stifle a cackle. Happy and calm, the trio rested before embarking onward, still cradling the strange young alien.