The Boyfriend Material - Celphi

I woke up drenched in sweat and dehydrated. Another day of waking up in total darkness. I felt around for my phone. Of course, it wasn’t there. Crawling forward, I stretched farther and touched something large and smooth.

A… hand? A huge hand. Not a child’s hand. Not one of the sisters.

‘Kyaa! Who are you?’

Memories rushed back like a tidal wave.

Sigh. Right. Not a dream. Not a drill. I’d really been banished to the shadow realm. Fantastic.

I pulled back to the edge of the futon. If I could even call it that, and did a quick check of myself. That’s when I noticed I wasn’t in the same clothes as before. Instead, I was wearing something soft and warm, almost like a wool onesie.

Celphi?! Did he do this while I was asleep? He could’ve at least warned me.

It felt very comfortable and snug. Nothing about it felt wrong. No lingering sense of violation. Just caretaker Celphi making sure I didn’t freeze to death in my sleep.

Actually… I vaguely remembered him shaking me awake. “Fine. Whatever.’’ Did I dream that or did I actually say that?

My heart was ready to combust at the thought.

Did I really sleep that well around him? Not only could I not remember changing clothes, I also hadn’t had any nightmares… that was new. Come to think of it, when had I ever slept this well in my life? Does Celphi hold the key for a restful nightmare-less sleep for me?

I stood carefully and shuffled toward the faint light at the far side of the room. It looked like a blackout curtain at first, but the closer I got, the more I realized it wasn’t fabric at all. It felt coarse, ridged, heavy.

A door?

I grabbed hold and pulled. It groaned loudly before…

*Bang*

The whole panel nearly fell forward on top of me. Before I could scream, something wrapped around my waist and pulled me back in one smooth motion.

‘Sorry,’ Celphi said evenly. ‘I meant to replace that.’

The sudden light blinded me. As my eyes adjusted, I saw his serpent tail uncoil from my waist and lower me gently back onto the futon like I weighed nothing at all.

‘Thank you, Celphi,’ I whispered, still shaken.

He looked impossibly composed. Half man, half serpent, entirely myth. His upper body was all broad shoulders and sculpted lines. The kind of thing you’d expect in a Greek statue. While below… a creature that should only exist in paintings.

Why does he look like he stepped out of a museum? Does he even know how exquisite he looks?

I tore my gaze away, only to realize his room was just as baffling. Gems and golden stones scattered everywhere, glittering in the light. Treasure littered the floor.

Ooff. It’s lucky I hadn’t stepped on any sharp gems. Could you even call gemstones “litter”?

I had heard of men being untidy in their living conditions, but I had never heard of a man lying in a bed of jewels.

A shy giggle snapped me back.

‘Do you like these? These are all yours,’ Celphi said.

‘Is this the norm for this world? Males sleeping in shiny things to attract females?’

Celphi tilted his head. ‘I do not inquire into how others seduce mates, but… I think it’s just me who is obsessed with shiny things.’ He used his tail to gather a few gems into one corner like a child putting away his toys.

Cute.

‘Which form of yourself is most comfortable?’ I asked.

‘I’m comfortable in all of them. But I feel most powerful in my scaly form,’ he explained.

‘You keep saying ‘‘scaly.’’ That means snake, right? Tell me if I’m wrong. I don’t want to offend you.’

He shrugged and continued folding the heavy curtain-door thing, eyes casual. ‘Call it what you like. I wouldn’t mind.’

If I hadn’t spent years in healthcare reading tiny tells on faces, I would’ve missed the flicker of annoyance at the corner of his mouth.

Ooff. Did I step on a sore topic? Are there classes of creatures here? Are reptiles looked down on? What kind of creature was he, really? Did he even know, or was he hiding it?

While those questions spun, I watched him tidy the room and open more windows. Sunlight bled into the dim corners, making everything look softer. My eyes took a moment to adjust, so I observed his bizarre form instead of the shadows.

‘Was it draining? Transforming partially so fast to save me?’ I asked.

He breathed out a thin smile. ‘No. It’s as natural as breathing.’

‘Thank you.’ I looked up. His smile didn’t waver. A sweet moment lingered between us.

Is this what having a boyfriend feels like? My chest fluttered at the thought.

I shook my head and snapped myself back to reality. Or wherever this was. I walked to the area the panel had been covering a few seconds ago. What I saw was nothing short of paradise.

The sun hung high, lighting seas of lush green trees that extended as far as my eyes could see, dotted with pink trees in varying levels of bloom. A blue waterfall spilled to the right, birds trilled, water rushed sweetly through unseen paths. Branches above the makeshift window offered shade.

‘Breathtaking view! So we’re in a huge tree!’ I continued to take in the landscape.

‘What time is it now?’ I asked Celphi, who was busy fiddling with some items on a makeshift table.

‘When is your sunrise and sunset here usually?’

‘What does the word ‘sun’ mean?’ He stopped his search and came over to my side to view what I was talking about.

I pointed up. ‘That.’

‘Ah! We call that the Daystar.’

‘The time is before noon. The rising and setting depends on the season.’

‘I see!’ I exclaimed. ‘On Earth we call it the sun! Depends on the country, of course. There are different ways of saying it. But yeah, season and Earth’s position affect its appearance too.’

‘What does the word ‘country’ mean?’ Celphi tilted his head adorably.

My stomach gurgled. I looked away in embarrassment.

‘Of course, I will keep preparing your food.’

Oh, so that’s what’s keeping him busy. So thoughtful.

I trailed behind him and explained some basic Earth concepts such as countries, continents, religions, and science.

‘How many floors high is this?’

‘What is that?’ He tilted his head again.

‘Oh! I forgot some words may not even have counterparts in Meu! Apologies. Basically just how many rooms stacked on top of each other.’

I turned around to see that Celphi had gone to another room. Well, his torso had. Part of his tail was still with me.

‘I can’t tell you how many floors, but I estimate it’s around fifteen of you stacked up.’

I did the quick mental math. ‘I am sixty-four inches, so… that’s roughly 25 meters. Then it would around 9 floors. Quite high…’ 

Celphi came back with what I assumed was food.

‘Here are some fruits, Ina. You used to like noisefowls and water creatures. If you still do, I will get those for you.’ He handed me a full basket.

Maybe berries.

I picked one that looks like grape but the size and shape of a pink lady apple.

‘Can you eat these?’

‘I can in my human form, but only in small amounts. I have to have meat.’ He passed me an empty container.

‘What is this?’ I inspected it.

‘You can drink from that.’

‘But it’s empty?’ I handed it back.

‘You used to ask me to squeeze fruits for you to drink. Just tell me which one you’d like.’

‘Oh wow, I didn’t realize your Raiona was such a queen.’

“You are a queen. A future one, however…” A hint of hesitation touched his tone.

I won't correct him. In fact, I am tired of it.

‘I can try to eat this on my own, thank you.’ I studied the item before putting it in my mouth. Irregularly shaped, dirty purple like some root crop.

Do I need to wash it first? Who knows… Well, everyone else in this world except me. Of course.

Celphi watched with anticipation.

Can’t let the fans down. Bon appetit. Maybe if I die of poisoning I’ll go back to Earth.

The sweetness and acid hit at once, like a strawberry.

‘Oh wow, I love that.’ I devoured the fruit so quickly that I was onto my next one before I realized it. And then the next. Fruit juice spilled onto my chest and all over my onesie.

Goodness, this is watery like an apple! What a good business idea!

‘Ahem! Do excuse me for looking like a savage there. I must’ve been very hungry. I promise I am usually dignified,’ I said as I tried to wipe the liquid off me.

Celphi giggled. ‘That was your first meal since arriving after all.’

‘So it seems.’ I felt very sticky.

I wish I had some clean wipes. Or tissue at least. Sigh.

As I looked around for something to clean myself with, Celphi slithered away and returned with a wet cloth.

Yeah. This must be what it feels like to have a boyfriend. Am I mistaking his attentiveness for mind reading?

After wiping my face and hands, I tugged Celphi’s arm so I could reach up and give his cheek a quick kiss.