Kweide

 "Kweide?"

The Yautja had been quietly pacing the medical corridor, Skylar was asleep and tucked up into his chest as he held her, until Lar'ja-thwei's voice broke his silent concentration. He stopped his walking and looked up at the medic.

"Kayla is stable-"

There was a noticeable release of tension from Kweide as his masked face turned to look downwards at the sleeping human in his arms. Her face was far more peaceful than it had been in the last several hours since those metal doors had closed them out of the medical bay and blocked her from her friend's side.

"-but you both will be unable to see her for the next several rotations. I'm keeping her in quarantine for her protection and everyone else. H'chakde will be with her, so she will not be alone." Lar'ja-thwei walked forward and gestured to see Skylar. "Does she need anything?"

"Disinfectant," Kweide rolled Skylar's injured leg and hand into view.

She winced in her sleep but otherwise didn't make any complaints as Lar'ja-thwei inspected the wounds. "Very well, keep it clean and let her rest. She'll be perfectly fine. I'll get the jar and wraps for her wounds" He left them in the hallway.

Kweide leaned against the corridor wall, his muscles were beginning to quiver from use but he chose to focus on the distraction the pain brought instead of waking and putting Skylar down. Anything would be better than having to witness her tears again. They always made his chest ache and those tears of hers were unsolvable. 

When Kayla had disappeared from their view he saw Skylar's hands rest in her hair, tugging and pulling at the dark colored strands until all at once they escaped that yellow band that confined them and it fell to the floor. The moment she had lifted that broken yellow band, a hair tie she had once called it, she burst into tears and looked at him desperately.

Those tears that poured from her eyes in rivulets left Kweide reeling, he couldn't kill her pain to stop them, he couldn't fight it. There was just nothing he could do that he knew how to do right. All she had ever taught him about her tears meant that he needed to hold her until they ran dry. So he did. And he would continue to do so if she woke and they were replenished again.

His clawed fingers gently caressed the waves of her hair. Yes, he'd hold her until she felt better. Kweide let his mind focus on her until Lar'ja-thwei returned and sent him on his way. He did his best to keep his head held high and his shoulders back as he passed any Yautja on the ship. They gave odd looks, of course they would, but when they noticed the human in question their tunes changed from perplexed to intrigued. Kweide didn't like that.

The less Yautja that noticed Skylar the safer she'd be. She was becoming popular amongst the unblooded and the older warriors because they were the kind most open to her. The older already knew the skill of humans and the youngest, although quickest to temper, were also the easiest to impress. It was the ones too old to be easily swayed and too young to know humbleness that were still a threat. There were quite a few of those.

He adjusted her slightly and passed them around the curve of the hall and into his own room. Inside, he set her down on the bed and set the medical supplies next to her, he could clean her now but why wake her while she got her much needed rest? Instead he mulled over an idea that he hoped she would like. With a satisfied click he left her, hoping he'd be finished by the time she awoke.

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Kweide gently shook Skylar awake, "I need to clean your wound," he warned her as he took her leg into his lap and she sat up.

She blinked once or twice, rubbing at her eyes while she tried to collect her bearings, "is Kayla okay?"

Kweide nodded, "I would have woke you immediately otherwise. She is alive and well." He poured the liquid from the jar into her wound and nearly had a heart attack when she began nearly screaming in pain. He stopped immediately and began massaging her leg as he looked at her wound with confusion, there was a slight bubbling coming from it and he realized that the liquid was killing any possible infections and clearing out grime. He had forgot how painful it could be on a dirty wound.

"What is that?" She bit her lip and clasped her hands over her eyes as she leaned back.

"Disinfectant," Kweide continued to rub her leg until she sighed and her shoulder drooped, then he wrapped her leg and started on her wounded hand. "I have a surprise for you Skylar."

"Is it like this?" She winced as he poured the liquid into her palm a second time to be certain it was clean.

Kweide clicked out a sharp laugh but shook his head, "no, this surprise will not hurt. Although before I show you it-" he paused to look at her, only now remembering what he needed to say, "Lar'ja-thwei has told us you will be unable to see Kayla for the next several rotations as she heals." He expected some form of backlash but she merely gave a tired smile and rested her head on her knee.

"At least she's healing, that's what matters." Skylar nodded and then looked up at him. "So what have you got for me Kweide?" There was a twinkle of curiosity in her eye an his heart began to beat faster. He was certain it was excitement.

"I'll show you," he offered her his hand and helped her stand to face his trophy wall, there, bottom row and within her reach were skulls and pieces from her kills  as well as the egg she had taken previously. "For you," He said, helping Skylar closer to the shelf. There was silence and he moved a skull to show her the array of blue feathers beneath it, "these could be decorative, if you want them." He turned back to look at her and she covered her mouth slowly. His heart stopped and then began to patter wildly as he set the skull back down and looked at the shelf. "If you wish to get rid of them we can do that as well."

"Kweide no," Skylar began to sniffle as she wrapped her arms around him, "no I love it. Thank you so much." She laughed and he turned in her arms to lift her chin. He said nothing as she gave him a watery smile, "I mean it, I'm just very touched and after everything I think I'm just a little sensitive right now." Satisfied with her answer he let his hand drop to caress her neck as she buried her face into his abdomen. "Do you think..." She looked at the feathers and then shook her head, "sorry nevermind."

"What is it?" Kweide looked from her to the feathers and back, he felt warm inside, it wasn't just a transfer of heat, he felt... a pleasant feeling in his chest.

She seemed hesitant but ultimately asked, "would you mind helping me put the feathers into my hair? I want to wear them."

Kweide nodded and gestured her to the bed, "sit, I will weave them in." He grabbed the feathers and had her sit facing away from him as he stood behind her. "How do you want them?" He remembered the day he had his tendrils parted as they were now, it was an excruciating process but an important one and one he could not help but feel slightly excited to help Skylar through.

"Do you know what a braid is?"

He shook his head and she began showing him an example. He watched how her fingers ran nimble through her hair and created an interestingly tight lock. He could do that. Kweide undid her braid and used his claws to help him part sections of her hair to create a look he thought would suit her best.

"Maybe when we're done we can put some in your dreads? We could try weaving them into the metal bands!" Skylar clapped her hands together in excitement and tilted her head back to look up at him.

Kweide tried to keep focused as he continued his weaving of the feathers in her hair but what she was asking was... He looked into her eyes, she had no idea that if he wore her feathers things would be hard to define for the two. Other Yautja might not understand their... friendship, as she had called it. What was more important was the question, would it paint a target on Skylar's back?

"Well? We don't have to you don't want to." Her eyes were practically begging and bright with hope.

He wasn't sure what to say but he knew he didn't want to deny her request, they were from her best kill after all. Kweide pushed her head back upright, "alright, I shall accept however many you'd like to give me."

Skylar giggled and did a little arm dance he wasn't familiar with but she was radiating good energy so he let out an amused click. When he finished they switched places except she stood up on the bed to be able to reach the full circumference of his head. "Mask off please!"

Her small fingers were surprisingly fast at locking the feathers into his tendrils and he began purring as she gently added more and more, softly patting them occasionally and readjusting before locking them in tight. Having her mess with his tendrils was nothing like the binding ceremony he had done on his way to adulthood and Kweide had to admit it was rather... pleasant.

"These look so amazing Kweide! You're going to look so ha-" Skylar stopped talking and Kweide fought the urge to look back at her. What was she going to say?

His pale blue eyes met her darker ones when he decided he wanted to know, "Skylar?" he tilted his head and urged her to continue. He couldn't read her face as easily without his mask to change and enhance his vision but he could see her well enough to notice her nervous posture.

"I was saying you were going to look handsome." She immediately ducked her head and pushed him to face front again as she got back to her work.

"Hand-some?" He had never heard of that word in his own language, the way she said it came out distorted and similar to some words but yet was not one of them. As if it perhaps did not align enough with Yautja as well as other words could. "What does it mean to be Handsome?" He heard her heart rate quicken abnormally and he began to fidget a little, had she said something insulting to him and now she didn't want to explain herself? But that didn't make sense, she sounded so happy about it. Kweide's hands fisted as he tried to slow down his thoughts. His own mind had never caused him such trouble before.

"It means attractive, pleasing to the eye," she sounded a bit out of breath but she hadn't stopped what she was doing, "like beautiful but...slightly different."

Kweide's own heart began to beat quickly and he slapped a hand on his chest suddenly to calm it down, Skylar yelped and he turned. "My chest is hurting, it was not tied to your words or actions," he said quickly, hoping to placate her. If she thought he was angry at her she might shy away. Skylar nodded but he noticed her hands had dropped into her lap and she was avoiding his eyes. Kweide touched one of her hands with his own, "do you often get called handsome by those back on earth?"

He looked up when she giggled, "no, it's hard to explain but its not something I've been called or probably would be called." Through his vision he could see a smile on her face as she looked at him now. Humans were fools if they wouldn't call her handsome. She wasn't a Yautja female but she was the slightly different beautiful.

"You are handsome Skylar," he said it matter of fact before turning around to let her finish. He even began purring after a quiet thank you came from her as she continued what she was doing. There were several things he did not understand about Skylar but he did understand that he liked when she touched his tendrils and when she called him handsome. It was more than a little confusing for a Yautja, let alone Kweide, to feel the way he was. He had no words to describe it, more accurately, perhaps he had no words he was yet aware he could use. Skylar was his friend. That was all he was really certain of.

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"Skylar," Kweide called out for her as she sped ahead of him and into the eating hall. She had been so excited to show off her new hair style to N'kai and any other Yautja she knew that he hadn't really put the heart into stopping her as she insisted they go and eat that night. He sighed and carefully wandered his way to the entrance. He leaned against it momentarily as she practically skipped up to N'kai and walked around him so he could see her.

"Isn't this so cool?" She moved her hair, showing off the feathers and puffing herself up almost like a Yautja. He couldn't help but let click after click of laughter out as she practically danced in front of the younger warrior. He did stop laughing however when N'kai began to vividly express his admiration of her new look. N'kai could admire Skylar all he wanted but something about the way he said it was beginning to irritate Kweide. There was an unfamiliar rolling in his gut that was mixing with his rising blood pressure.

"Greetings Kweide-" N'kai stopped speaking, mandibles flaring in surprise as he stared at him, "if you'll excuse me Skylar." He tilted his head towards her before heading off towards a group of others his age.

"Well... that was weird?" Skylar gave Kweide a confused look but shrugged and got in line with him for food. They were almost going to have a peaceful meal when D'to arrived next and plopped down next to them. Skylar looked between them and as if seeing some sign he couldn't she suddenly excused herself to clean her bowl.

When she had gone D'to spoke up. "Why are you terrorizing the youth?" he asked, ripping into his large slice of food.

"What do you mean?" Kweide looked up from his untouched plate.

"N'kai practically ran from you, though its no wonder why."

"And why is that?" Kweide huffed and tilted his head, what had he somehow done to scare the hotheaded youth? He lifted his mask off his face enough to drink before putting it back on securely.

D'to stopped eating and looked at him, "he was obviously vying to be the first to produce to pups with Skylar but you're clearly her favorite male right now and very territorial over that position."

Kweide nearly choked. "I am not Skylar's favorite male, and since when did N'kai want to have pups with Skylar?" He couldn't wrap his head around it, although wearing her trophies was something he understood could make wrong signals in his society. He wasn't territorial of a nonexistent position.

D'to went back to eating with a shake of his head, "he's a young male. He'd mate with any female that would spare him the time of day even if he had to grovel. Skylar has always paid particular interest to him and soon she'll be considered a blooded member of the clan. It's only natural that his interest in her would try to change."

Kweide clenched his hands involuntarily. Would other males start to see Skylar that way? The thought had never crossed his mind as possible but if they began viewing themselves as being potential sires to her future pups he wasn't sure what to do.

"Your tendrils are covered in feathers from one of her kills, you appeared behind her like her shadow and even now you smell of aggression." D'to's mandibles gave an audible click of humor before leaning on his palm. "You're behaving like a male courting a female just before her heat, has she decided if she's willing to have you sire her pups?"

Kweide's head went reeling and instead of finding an answer, he was caught much too off-guard for one, he deflected. "Has R'dek'na decided if she'll allow you to sire hers?" If he could sigh in relief he would have as D'to took the bait.

"No, she hasn't given any hint at who it will be when she desires to have them." D'to's normally pleasant aura turned glum as he moved his food around his plate. "She is like Paya among us, even if she were ready upon an approaching cycle I may not be worthy yet. But I hope to be!"

There was that D'to energy, high spirits and deeply devoted to R'ka'dekna. Kweide gave a click of laughter, good luck to him. R'ka'dekna was hard to please in the best of circumstances, although, Kweide supposed a female could never find a more loyal male. D'to was a good warrior but he had sired no pups, most of his life had been dedicated to worshipping the ground R'ka'dekna walked on and every female around him knew they'd only ever be second best. Which could get him killed should a female seek him out and be less than pleased by his reaction.

"What amuses you? You're no better than me," D'to retorted.

Kweide gave a growl of irritation before quieting down as Skylar returned. "Are you ready to go back now?" She reached to grab his bowl to carry with her and Kweide stopped her.

"I'll carry it," He looked back at D'to and nodded a goodbye before his friend stopped him.

"Kweide, whether you acknowledge it or not you are sending messages to your clan mates you need to think about." D'to's voice lowered some to make sure no one listened in, "consequences can and will happen."

Kweide wanted to rebuff him but he could see the seriousness on his face, "very well." When D'to let go he walked past a confused Skylar. They remained quiet until they were almost back to their room.

"Is something going on Kweide?" She asked softly, although the echo of the hallway did not help her case.

Kweide shook his head and opened the door, "nothing to concern yourself with, it is nonsense." He took off his mask and undressed for sleep, raising his arm for Skylar to cocoon into his side with Ferdinand wedged by their feet.

He did not want to think about the consequences of his actions for the first time in his entire existence. In fact he refused to do so if that meant anything with Skylar would change.

"Goodnight Kweide," she somehow wormed her way closer, her leg sleepily thrown over his.

He purred softly to her and curled around her, as long as things could stay as they were between him and Skylar he would give anything to have that.