Temporary (Tighnari X Reader)

3

"Huh. Crazy dream..." Despite being all sorts of weird, and despite having done weird things, (Y/N) was everything but crazy.

So when she arrived at the library after class to study, her heart dropped when she saw Tighnari with his nose buried deep in a textbook. She crept up behind him silently, wondering if she was crazy, and reached out to pinch the tip of his ear.

He whipped around and threw her off guard with the bags underneath his eyes, his whole demeanour weighed down with exhaustion. "Oh no please, don't let me stop you. By all means, go ahead and touch my ears. Archons know where your hands have been." His pale face matched the colour of the scattered pages he was reading, and his slumped posture told her all that she needed to know.

"Were you here the whole night? Did you sleep here?"

"Yes, minus the sleep part. I exchanged sleep for this-" a paper with weird symbols sketched on one half and the alphabet on the other side was in his hand, "which was necessary, mind you. I can read your language now- well, actually it's the same language, just written differently." With a sharp inhale and quickly rubbing his eyes, he continued. "Anyway, I've gained a basic understanding of your world."

He lifted his eyes to her, and she stared back down at him.

"Hell on a planet?"

"Hell on a planet. I-I just can't even fathom how braindead you people are as a collective!" It was like someone blew a fuse. Tighnari was all over the place, bringing up many general issues that have plagued human society. Climate change, politics, civil wars, wars in many countries, and even wars that (Y/N) hadn't known about.

She quirked an eyebrow. "How long have you been researching about our problems?"

"Long enough to find a solution for each one."

"And what would that be?"

"If you want my answer you'd have to endure a 3 hour lecture- and that's putting it in the simplest terms possible." He pulled out a vial the size of her index finger, popped off the cork, and gulped it down.

"Ew. What was that?"

"It'll help me stay awake and give me enough energy to function for at least a few more hours." The ears on his head began to droop and he went back to reading the textbook. The idea of this otherworldly creature interacting with her and reading a university biology textbook between shelves of the library was still settling in her mind. If he didn't have a place to stay, she could at least help him out in some other way.

A pang of hunger followed by the growl of her tummy gave her an idea. "Hey, whatcha hungry for?"

He raised his eyes and thought for a moment. "Mushroom skewers would be nice.... Why?"

"Mushroom skewers... I'll be back."

He watched her pull out a pouch from her bag and slip out of the library. Usually, she would pack her own lunch or not eat anything until she gets home. But today was an exception- she was especially hungry and she might as well feed Tighnari while she was at it.

The food court was a place of luxury, a place where soggy, flattened homemade sandwiches did not belong. It was a place of fine dining, and (Y/N) had to work hard to constrict herself from spending all her savings on food.

After checking in with several canteens, none of them served mushroom skewers. In the end, she settled with a burger for herself and a mushroom and broccoli soup for Tighnari. Back in the library, (Y/N) quickly snuck by the lazy eyes of the staff behind the desk and back to the table where Tighnari had his head buried in his arms.