Draft #168
I should have seen it coming.
***
Rulshkka was awoken by his son's quiet cries for food. A long exhale left his body, and he sat up before he had the thought of sleeping in some more.
"Got him?" Thruul sleepily asked him, words mumbled into the pillow underneath him. Rulshkka pressed his hand to the top of his head before he disentangled himself from the blankets.
"Mhm," he hummed, blearily blinking into the darkness. Vi'mrakka's cries grew louder now that he knew his father was awake. "Come here, little one."
He picked Vi'mrakka up out of his cradle, movements slowed by exhaustion. His son's claws immediately latched onto his sleep clothes, cries picking up in volume and intensity. Rulshkka swiftly exited the room to let his mate sleep.
The kitchen was quiet - aside from Vi'mrakka's whining - so when he was in the middle of preparing his son's food, the sound of a chair scraping across the floor made him jump.
"Kohgrash?" he called quietly, sincerely hoping it was him and not an intruder. He didn't have the energy to deal with such a callous act of treason, right now.
There was a muffled thump followed by an even less muffled string of curses. Then, his human appeared in the doorway, cast in shadows and looking more than a little rumpled. "Hey, I didn't know you were up," he said, just as quietly as him.
Rulshkka turned, bouncing Vi'mrakka slightly in his arms to calm him. "Had to feed the angry hatchling," he smiled. Kohgrash walked over to him, peering up at the hatchling in his arms. He brushed his finger along his tail.
"Don't suppose you can feed the human some fruit, too?" he asked hopefully. Rulshkka snorted, handing Kohgrash the container of hatchling food before he fished out a starfruit. They swapped items, and Rulshkka got to work feeding his whining son while Kohgrash struggled to get up on the counter to eat his own food.
"Why are you awake?" Rulshkka asked quietly, unable to tear his eyes away from his son. Some meat dribbled down his chin, and he scooped it up with his claw, dropping it back into his mouth. Vi'mrakka rumbled with satisfaction.
He heard Kohgrash tear out a large chunk of the fruit and couldn't help but marvel, once again, how easily his features made it for him to do so. If he were not so familiar with humans, there would be no one in the universe who would be able to convince him of what they were truly capable of.
They had blunt claws and were able to pierce into most anything with enough force. Their jaws were nothing compared to the strong-boned V'srks but were somehow able to break through just about anything the bull-like species were able to. It was all rather remarkable, and Rulshkka was glad that they were allies instead of enemies.
Plus, he did love Kohgrash. Even if they were enemies, he'd be unable to stop admiring him.
Kohgrash made a vague humming noise after he swallowed his bite of fruit. "Just awake, I guess," he grumbled in the tone of someone who did not want to talk about it. Rulshkka understood - he had certainly gone to lengths to keep his emotions in check - but he also knew that it was not the healthiest thing to do. It was not usual for Kohgrash to be awake at this hour, so Rulshkka was right to be concerned.
He said nothing, knowing that the silence would freak Kohgrash out enough to make him spill. And that's exactly what he did. With an explosive sigh, he dug his claws viciously into the fruit, tearing off another chunk. "I guess I am just a little worried about going back to Earth."
YOU ARE READING
The Autobiography Of An Alien
Science Fiction!! Sequel to In Search of Home. If you haven't read that, you'll be a little confused! !! After the humans invaded - somewhat; it was his fault, really - his planet, they left a gaping hole in his heart. It took the form of one Kohgrash. Rulshkka ha...
