Then learn to trust

Laila

«Well, I’ve done my part, I’m going up with Nadia,» I say as I float upward. “Maybe I should make food rain more often.”

«Wait…»

I stop and look at Søren, still held in the familiar’s claws. «What is it now?»

He stares at me with his usual dumb look, then gestures at himself with his arms. «I get what you want, but at least waste two words on it.»

«C-could you take me up with you, please?»

«Finally. Was that so hard? Anyway, no, deal with it yourself,» I reply coldly, turning my gaze away. “I can feel you’re not well, and I’d like to help, but I don’t want to risk having feelings for humans… Stupid Unicorn, putting weird ideas in my head. I don’t have feelings!”

«Please, it’s uncomfortable, and the claws are starting to tear my hoodie.»

«I don’t care.» I reach the beast’s back and sit comfortably, sunglasses on, pulling out a pillow and backrest from my sweater. Nadia comes closer and stands in front of me, narrowing her big, perpetually furrowed eyes. «What do you need? You want something to make yourself more comfortable too?» I pull out another pillow and hand it to her. «Here, take it.» She snatches it from my hands and throws it away. «Hey!»

«Søren,» she says, pointing down.

«He can handle himself.»

«Søren!» she insists.

“This kid is so annoying, I think, rolling my eyes. Let’s see if I can reason with her—maybe a couple of words will save me effort.” «How did you get up here?» She looks at her palms, then shows them to me. «You did it by yourself?»

«Mh!» exclaims, nodding.

«See? If you managed, he can too.» I close the conversation and lean back against the support, hands behind my head, eyes shut.

“Something’s tapping on my head? Whatever, I’ll ignore it.” The tapping becomes more frequent. “So annoying.” I crack one eye open and see Nadia kneeling beside me. “She’ll stop.” I close my eye again. But the tapping grows heavier, until it’s full-on smacks. «Quit it!» I shout in exasperation, jerking upright. «You’re not some damn cat begging for food at four in the morning!» She keeps smacking me. I shift into a cat and start swatting back with my paws. «Hisss!» I hiss.

The little girl stops. «Finally, you get it.» But she’s not listening, just staring at me with sparkling eyes. «What?»

Nadia reaches out her hand. «Hey, no! What are you doing?!» She starts petting my head. I dart back and swipe at her hand. «Hisss! No touching!»

She pulls her hand back, sulking. Then she grabs me by the scruff of the neck. «Stop! Let me go!»

«Søren!»

«Fine! Just leave me alone!» I flick my tail, lifting that idiot into the air and dropping him onto the familiar’s back. He flails, trying to grab the flames—or feathers, I’m not even sure what they are.

As soon as he feels safe, he looks at me with that sweet, I mean, stupid abandoned puppy expression. «Thank you, Laila.»

«I told you to quit with that stupid look, that’s not a smile. And you should thank Nadia; she wouldn’t leave me alone and practically forced me.»

He covers his mouth with his hand, lowering his gaze. «Sorry. Thanks, Nadia.» “Only now do I notice—has he started lowering his tone with me again? And here I thought he’d grown up.” «C-can I ask you something?» he says softly.

«Go ahead.»

«Did Nadia force you to transform like this?»

«Of course not!»

«Then why didn’t you just float like usual to relax?»

I feel my head heat up, not knowing where to look. «W-well, I… Mind your own damn business!» I snap, pointing a paw at him. But he doesn’t look annoyed or amused—in fact, I can feel his heart pounding harder. “I know you’re dying to pet me. I want to say something, but your intentions are making my head explode. I can’t think.”

«Hey, kid, would you mind setting me down now?»

She stares at me intently. «Please.»

I roll my eyes. «Please, would you set me down?» She gently places me on the creature’s back. «You shouldn’t learn everything this guy teaches you, or you’ll end up a pain in the ass like him.» Nadia walks over to Søren, confused.

He places a hand on her head and strokes it. «She didn’t mean it literally, it’s just an expression.»

«Pfff Ahahahah! She really thought you could turn into a pole?! Ahahaha!» I can’t even keep my eyes open from laughing so hard. Suddenly, something yanks me up by the scruff. «Eh?!» I open my eyes to see Søren’s dumb face trying to frown. «What do you think you’re doing? You don’t look scary—in fact, it looks like you’re about to cry.»

«I don’t care if you make fun of me or ignore me,» “Yes, you do care.” «But you can’t make fun of Nadia.» He turns me toward the little girl’s flushed, tear-brimmed face. “Perfect. Now he’s infected me with guilt too.” «Listen, kid, I’m sorry for teasing you.» She turns away and sits at the beast’s neck. “What’s this feeling? Like a thud in my heart followed by disorientation, as if I lost something but knew exactly where it was.” «I apologize to her, so why does she keep being angry?»

«Don’t worry, she’ll get over it with time.» “Is he actually trying to comfort me? Him?! Søre?! Feeling pity for me?! How far have I fallen?”

Søren sits down, crossing his legs and keeping his eyes fixed on her, as if I weren’t even there. He lays me across his lap and begins to stroke me. “What the hell is he thinking?! But… this feels so relaxing, why have we never done this before?” I rest my muzzle on Søren’s knee, my body easing as I let myself be lulled by his touch.

I glance up at his face. “He looks so calm, watching Nadia while petting me.” Then his eyes drop to me. His cheeks seem to flush slightly. “D-don’t look at me with that stupid expression.”

«Søren… I need to tell you something.»

«Go on.»

I keep my eyes on him. «No, forget it…» I murmur, shifting my gaze back to Nadia, a strange weight pressing on my chest again. “That idiot better hope he’s not wrong…”