In Search of Home

Chapter 69

His bed was moving underneath him. He grumbled something unintelligible - he firmly told it to stop moving - and pressed more of his weight into it to stop it from moving. 

"Kraw," it said. "Kohgrash, tas gnno' mr."

That was... not English. Or something beds would say in the first place. 

Something touched the top of his head, and he reluctantly opened his eyes. Grogginess clung to his eyelids, and it took everything he had in him to sit up instead of closing them and going right back to sleep. His back protested as he moved, and when he stretched, his spine started popping. 

They were still in the car, though Rukka, Kac, and Nohkka were gone. "Nohkka?" he managed to put together. 

"Lorka," Vok'Rul responded simply. Viktor stared at him in bleary confusion before he remembered that he had turned the translator off before he had fallen asleep. 

"Hm," he responded tiredly. Vok'Rul chuckled. 

"Pora, Kohgrash'mrr'k," he said sweetly, picking up Viktor as if he weighed nothing. To the alien, he probably didn't. By the time they got up the stairs, Thruul had bid them farewell and Viktor was half-asleep in Vok'Rul's arms again. 

The bright light of the bathroom was what started to really wake him up. 

"Ugh," he mumbled, squinting against the harsh light. "Why're we in here? I wanna go to bed." 

Vok'Rul spoke, words unrecognizable to Viktor. Against his better judgment, he reached up to flick the translator back on, clenching his teeth against the slight increase in his headache. "Kohgrash, you've been playing in the dirt all day. You reek. You need to take a bath." 

Viktor stared at him for a second while the words processed in his head. Then, he started struggling to get out of Vok'Rul's grasp. Unfortunately, the alien's grip only tightened on him. "Stop, Kohgrash," Vok'Rul half-laughed, exasperated. His face got serious. "Listen, you are going to take this bath whether you like it or not." 

"I can shower by myself, though," Viktor pleaded. His face was already turning red at the thought of Vok'Rul being in the bathroom with him. It had been bad enough when the alien had just thought of him as an animal. But now that the alien was aware of Viktor's sentience, it made this all the more mortifying. "I'm not sick or injured or anything."

Vok'Rul huffed, but to Viktor's relief, he relented. "Alright," he said. "But I will be outside the door the entire time. I don't want you to get hurt."

He showered. Well, Vok'Rul still ran a bath for him, asking in confusion what a shower was exactly. Turns out, they didn't even have anything that spouted water from high up. It was all bathing for them. Better for their skin, Vok'Rul told him. Something about letting themselves soak. Frankly, Viktor had stopped listening to the alien the moment he started talking about their bathing habits. It was not something he wanted to hear.

It was really nice taking a bath, especially after the strenuous day he had. Washing away dirt and soaking his sore muscles in hot water made him sleepier. He knew that he was probably at risk of drowning, considering how large this tub was. The hot steam and enveloping warmth made him so, so tired.

"Kohgrash, ka ta tih?" Vok'Rul called. His loud voice jolted him from his half-sleep. 

"Uh-huh," he mumbled. He washed out the last of the soap and shampoo clinging to him before pushing himself out of the tub. He nearly slipped on the way out - why didn't Vok'Rul have a bath mat, for God's sake? - but he managed to dry himself and get some fresh, clean clothes - this time, a pair of white sweatpants and a yellow sweater with some cute little animal on it - on without injury. Success. "Open the door," he called, frowning at the thing. Viktor didn't have the energy to push it open.