Aliens: My Alien, Daeus

Chapter Seventeen

Edited: 5-20-24

Void's POV

Spending the day watching Yupo, I trailed her throughout the house, slightly wary, but I knew it was from my fears. My past. I could get over that. She was nice and different. A kind of different that drew me in. The pastel green Honeycomb didn't seem to mind me tagging along and I was kind of hoping she'd give me another . . . whatever it was, but she'd put the bag up after giving me one and hadn't even reached for the drawer that it was in.

I got my time in the water after eating the treat and getting the juice all over me, but I hadn't minded the mess. Yupo wasn't allowed in though, I made sure to keep the blanket on me at all times around her. She was female and as I thought about it, I wondered why I seemed to know her gender right off the bat like I had the others, but brushed it off as the day progressed, assuming the new quirk to be a part of me now.

"Do you think he's ready, Yupo?" Daeus' voice echoed from the kitchen and I looked over at Yupo, recognizing her name. Yupo glanced at me and then at the screen. She'd been startled earlier when I turned the computer on and started to watch the show I'd left off on as she sat on the couch, texting on something that looked like a phone. "Is it too soon?"

Yupo stood up and I hopped off of my stool seat and pushed it back under the desk. She smiled and we went into the kitchen. I sat down at my spot by the island and watched Daeus and Yupo's interaction, curious as to what they were talking about and wishing I could understand them.

"I don't think it's too soon. He's been with you for a little over a week now and this is the second week the council has given you. Now is prime time to bring Unit and Mint back into our lives. We're a division, we're meant to stay together." Yupo put one of her top hands on Daeus' arms and they interconnected their bottom hands together.

"There's still so much I need to show him and teach him and . . ." The feeling of worry I got from Daeus worried me. I couldn't understand why he was so worried. "He doesn't know anything outside of me and now you. If he gets separated from me or lost, he'll be lost in a world he can't understand. At best he needs to at least try to understand the division process, which'll probably be the only thing he can grasp onto."

They got closer to each other and a spike of an unfamiliar feeling nestled in my chest. "If what I've witnessed is anything, I know he's ready. You two will get through everything together in due time. Bonds are forever and I know he's smart. If he didn't have you, it would have taken him months to get to this point. But you're here, Dae and he trusts you." She dropped Daeus' hands and wrapped my alien in a hug. The feeling resonating from Daeus turned away from worry to something I couldn't quite explain or process. She was special to him, but how and why? What was her relation to him and did it come before me?

They broke apart and Daeus walked over to me. As I was sitting, he kneeled on his front legs and started to pet my hair. I looked up into his mis-matched eyes and tilted my head. Daeus smiled so I took that as a sign that he was okay. He'd probably been worrying over something small. When he stood up, I could tell that he was expecting something, so as a knock resonated from the door, I half expected it.

"Void," Yupo called out to me and I looked back at her, standing from my spot. My blanket was still wrapped around me, and I ran over to her. Daeus had gone to answer the door so she was my only option to remain safe right now. "It's okay, Void. Daeus is just going to greet the rest of the division."

I could hear voices coming from the other room and it scared me. I didn't want to meet any new Honeycombs, I wasn't ready. I had just met her and now there were more of them? Yupo grabbed my hand gently and took a step toward the living room. I balked, refusing to move. Shaking my head in a firm 'no', I looked up at Yupo's light blue eyes and my face turned into a pout. I didn't want to meet anyone else. I couldn't meet anyone else. Sure, Yupo was great and fun and Daeus was mine, but . . . I wouldn't know how to handle anyone else.

With a gentle tug on my arm, Yupo took another small step forward. "Unit and Mint are apart of our family. Divisions are lifelong families not related by blood. If you can't handle any other Ekhad on the planet that's okay, but Unit and Mint will always be around. You can't avoid them. They're nice and gentle and just as caring as Daeus and myself." Her voice was soft and patient. She wasn't mad at me for refusing to follow her and that was a relief, but even though she sounded like she was trying to console me, my heart couldn't process the thought that they wanted me to meet other Honeycombs.

Letting go of my hand, Yupo lowered herself to the floor and when she was laying down, her front paws on either side of me, she wrapped me in an unexpected hug. All four of her arms encased me, loosely holding onto my wings as she laid her head on top of mine. "Daeus and I will always be here to protect you." Warmth flowed from her body and melted my heart. Somehow I just knew that she cared deeply for me and I leaned into her hug. "You don't need to accept every Ekhad we meet, but this small divison of four are the only ones you need in your circle. Daeus, Unit, Mint, and myself are the only ones you need to let into your heart."

Unlike Daeus' voice, which was a soothing rumble in his chest, Yupo's words were more like a calm stream, soft in my ears without the presence of it in her as she spoke. She pulled back and her two top hands held onto my shoulders as she looked me in the eyes. "You ready to go meet the rest of your circle?" She asked, smiling as she looked away and to the living room where I knew Daeus was waiting with the other Honeycomb.

Assuming she was asking if I wanted to go meet whoever had knocked on the door, I bit my lower lip in hesitation. Was I ready to meet someone else? Was I ready to take another step forward and hope for the best?

Looking back into Yupo's eyes and I took a deep breath and nodded at her, hoping she had actually asked me a question. When the pastel green female smiled a big, wide smile, I pushed all of my hesitations away. I could be strong. I could get over my fears and be happy, for Yupo and especially for Daeus.

Yupo stood up from the floor with ease and took my hand again. Slowly, she walked me into the living room and I stayed close to her side, looking down. I was strong, but still afraid. The unknown would always scare me.

When Yupo stopped, she let go of my hand. Taking a deep breath, I stepped forward, around Yupo and in front of her. My eyes were still on the floor, but when I looked over to the familiar crimson fur of Daeus, he nodded at me, encouraging me to meet his friends.

Looking up, I glanced over at the Honeycomb that had entered the house, my stomach clenching at the sight of two of them. I could feel the blood rushing away from my face and I took a stumbling step backwards, my wings bumping into Yupo. When I looked up at her, she pushed me closer to the other Honeycomb. "It's okay, Void," She spoke, smiling at me. "Mint and Unit won't hurt you."

Looking forward and I observed the new Honeycombs. One was female with lime green fur and dark gray eyes. She was green like Yupo, but her fur was much brighter than Yupo's pastel green. The other one was male and with the way their tails were intwined it wasn't hard to figure out that they were mated together. The male was taller than his female counterpart, except unlike Daeus, he was a very dark purple with dark bronze eyes and the pattern on his fur was more spotty like a cheetah's than the honeycomb pattern I'd named them after.

The female kneeled on her front legs and held out her arms - an invitation for a hug. "It's okay, little one, I don't bite." She smiled and a small laugh made her voice sound melodic - like a bird was singing. I looked over at Daeus and he nodded again. Taking a deep breath, I closed the distance between us and wrapped my arms as far around the new Honeycomb that I could. I had to just rip it off like a bandaid and get it over with. Touching her was easier than looking at her and letting my thoughts get the better of me. Her fur wasn't as soft as Yupo's, but still soft and felt silky under my fingers. I didn't look up at her as she hugged me back and I closed my eyes instead, searching somewhere deep down inside of me that would tell me this was okay.

The Honeycomb's scent washed over me and I relaxed. Daeus and Yupo wouldn't allow someone dangerous near me, they wouldn't force me to meet someone that could potentially harm me. Without having to see the Honeycomb I was hugging, I could let my fears slide away. She was alright.

But most importantly, I was alright.