Disguised In Stardust ✔

Chapter Five

"What do you mean?? I-I don't-"

"Stop lying. I know it's with you."

"Come on man, I don't wanna get in trouble here." I sighed, casting my gaze to Faelin. He was staring at me intently now, muffled concern hidden in those eyes. I knew he cared, even if it was just a smidge.

"Then hand it over."

"What..?"

He scoffed on the other side. "Are you daft? Give me the alien. I knew about it before you, before anyone, so I deserve to keep it for research."

"You're being ridiculous, I'm just keeping him safe!"

"Him..? What are your relations? Where are you hiding it?!" he asked accusingly, his voice getting louder with each question.

Faelin reached forward and ripped the phone from my hand, clearly fed up. Instead of hanging up, he clenched the device tightly, nails scraping the screen. Just when I thought nothing would happen, thick, waxy stems started to weave through every little crack in the phone.

The device ultimately crushed under the pressure. The alien mushrooms and flowering buds literally consumed the device. I was rendered speechless. His little show was nearly incomprehensible to me.

So he explained, "We are creatures of decay." He almost seemed ashamed when he said it, "Our acidic flowers, the ones we cry, are a poisonous alchemical ingredient. One petal can apply several diseases to a concoction." A concoction..? Does that mean-

He cleared his throat, eyes passing over mine before darting away.

"Did you say concoction? As in, a potion?" I asked, tilting my head. Did he know anything about chemistry?

"Yes. On Silleon, we mix things together that have high concentrations of uncanny enzymes. I'm an alchemist myself." He pointed to himself, watching my reaction carefully.

I didn't understand a word he just said. I only picked up "alchemist."

I perked up. "An alchemist. Really?"

"Y-Yes..? I help at a shop in Hazelshire that's called Strange Ailworks. Well, in your foul tongue anyway." he began to stammer, but he kept his impolite attitude. He scratched at his neck and nibbled on his lip, platinum eyes avoiding mine.

"In that case, could you help me with my chemistry project?"

"Chemi- but I don't know anything about your chemical properties!" He shouted incredulously. When I didn't respond, he heaved a frustrated sigh and shrugged, mumbling a sliver of acceptance.

"Thank you so much." Inclining to hug him, I reached out but he only stared at me. His face shifted through seven shades of red before he looked away, crossing his arms briefly.

"A noble shouldn't engage in... that."

"Please?"

He shot me a conflicted look. I could see the warring emotions on his face, flashing back and forth like television channels.

He stared at me charily. My arms were getting tired of being held up, so I slowly dropped them. Before my hands could touch the bed, he reluctantly wrapped his arms around my frame. His hands were hovering above awkwardly, but they soon sank down onto my shirt.

He was warm against me, especially his face. To call his face warm would be an understatement; he was scalding. From the tips of his ears all the way down to his neck, a blush rose to his taffy skin and boiled at the slightest brush.

He pulled back before I could return the favor, though. When I could see his face again, his brow was caved in and his eyes were elsewhere. He had a little pout to his lip, making a minute wrinkle in its wake.

"Ugh. Aren't you quite the tactile human..." he derided lowly. I shrugged it off and let a beam grip the corners of my mouth. He wasn't one for hugs or compliments, or soft touchy-feely things--but he hugged me, which was a start of something.

As silence conquered the both of us, I couldn't help but give a laugh. "I, for one, am famished." I admitted with a grin, "Must I make you something as well, o grand and mighty prince?"

His andesite eyes sparkled with familiarity before he urged the look away. "Yes. You will cook something for me, preferrably a feast higher than my standards. If unable to meet my expectations, you'll be execut- right. Um, I'll be displeased."

I glanced at him, disbelieving, and he looked quite serious.

_

One thing was certain; he really liked honey. He loved the sleek look, the thick feel and the sweet taste. He said it reminded him of the jelly cocoon in which he came to Earth.

I could also tell me loved my blanched savory trout. He scarfed it down in a matter of minutes, and that was a large meal for one as small as him. That was the happiest I've seen him all day.

While I had rice and a hazelnut wafer, he toyed with a bottle of honey that he found in my cupboard. He poured it out onto his empty trout plate.

Something higher than his standards, he said...

Here he was, squeezing honey out of the nozzle, then freely suckling away at it. After he was done with the little bottle, he ran his tongue over his lips to catch any loose drops. His tongue wasn't like ours; it had little nubs of tissue that ran along the sides. It was... different.

When he caught me staring, he glowered.

"What?" His cutting query was answered by my awed silence.

I laughed, "Nothing, just wondering how honey is higher than a prince's standards."

He threw his empty bottle at me, scowling with clenched teeth. "Don't test my patience. I might tolerate you now, but that doesn't mean I won't slip a poison into your morning brew."

"Okay, okay.." I raised my hands in defense. His eyes lingered on me for a while before he got up and stalked over to the cupboards again. Rummaging through them, he groaned when he realized there was no honey left.

"Fetch me more." He turned and pinned his glare on me. My soft heart couldn't take many more of those looks; I could already feel it cracking.

"Oh. Uh, right now?" I fidgeted, watching him nod sternly.

"Yes. Now."

So, I ended up going to the store and buying three packs of honey bottles. He was needy, that was for sure. My patience was wearing thin with every order he made.

I mean, yeah we had some good times... But the main problem was his arrogance.

"Human," he called almost innocently, “when will you take me home?” His voice was condescending in a way.

“I don’t know. I can’t really pull a rocket ship out of my ears.” I replied. Slackening in defeat, I dropped my head into my palms and tried to figure out a solution.

Getting an alien back to a planet millions of light years away, wasn't going to be easy. I could barely afford my car payments, so how was I going to get an entire rocket? Besides, nobody could overlook a winged fairy creature casually boarding a spaceship.

While we were both thinking in tense silence, he suddenly sprang up and made a triumphant fist by his side.

"I just remembered; I know how I'll return home." he announced haughtily.

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