That Time I Brought A Boy Home

Haiku fell asleep not long after he closed his eyes. He’d had a long day of travel and emotions and the bed Bowen offered him was incredibly comfortable. He probably would have slept deeply until morning, but when Bowen woke up he was between REM cycles and much lighter in his dozing when the soft rhythmic vibration of the bed gently roused the boy. He thought nothing of it for a long moment, the sound of the night was quick to return him to sleep, but the muffled sounds of Bowen’s frustration had his eyes blinking open incoherently.

Bowen was resting against the wall, the moonlight playing on her soft fur as his eyes trailed over her long arm and the delicate paw that rested between her legs. He was naive, but it didn’t take his sleep fogged mind long to realize what he was seeing and what Bowen was going through. He didn’t have the experience to tell him exactly what was wrong, but the moment he agreed to return to the castle with her was the moment he told himself he would do anything to help his sweet broken friend.

He was uncertain and timid, but the boy shifted slightly, a huge white marked paw reaching out to gently brush her thigh. ”Bowen?” He whispered quietly, his deep voice rumbling within his chest. He drew in a steadying breath, nervous and unsure as he spoke. ”Tell me how to help you.” He could see the tears in her eyes, he could feel the frustration and hopelessness. He suddenly had a great desire to wrap her in his embrace. Something he had been struggling with since she pulled away from him. ”I promised,” he reminded her as he lifted himself to his elbows, and only barely resisted reaching forward to nuzzle her cheek.