Page 43 of Cozy Prisons
“Daxus is bad and sad!”the chorus sang.
“Why are you acting this way?”Decard-Falkilm sang, pretending to shove Daxus.“With me, Nataly needs to stay.”
Daxus stumbled back, as if Decard-Falkilm’s push had been strong. Then he picked Decard-Falkilm up and carried him to the edge of the stage.
“I act in a way that would make our ancestors proud!”he declared with a loud rattle that made a couple of people jump with surprise. Decard-Falkim flailed his arms around, as if trying to fight Daxus’s hold.“I won’t be cowed.”
After Daxus set him down, Decard-Falkilm waved his arms high in the air and sang in a low register.“You’re creating a crisis. I’ll report this!”
“Do as you see fit, I will not quit,”Daxus chanted and returned to the spot he’d been before. He ignored Riff-Nataly and focused again on her standing in the open doorway.
“I see the truth. I see the right way. If you give me a second chance, I’ll never need a third. I know the path to follow and won’t stray.”
The chorus did their shuffled step and sang,“He won’t fuck up again!”
Nataly couldn’t help the laugh that burst out of her.
The band abruptly stopped playing. In the sudden silence, Daxus took a step forward and sank to his knees. Bowing his head, he sounded a mournful rumble so sad that it made tears gather in her eyes.
“You don’t need to forgive me today, tomorrow, or in a solar,” he said in his regular voice. “I understand that it will take time. I’m ready to wait for as long as it takes.”
“I can’t believe you did all this,” she whispered, taking a step out of her domicile. It felt possible because she was going toward Daxus.
“I’d do all of it every day if it would make you happy,” he said, looking up.
“I didn’t sign up for every day!” Decard shouted, making a few people laugh and others shush him.
“This was so much,” she murmured, stopping in front of him. “Too much.”
“Nothing is too much if it makes you happy,” he said. “I wish I could take credit, but Sima had all the humans gather. They came up with this idea and put it all together today. Your species is impressive.”
“Hell yeah, we are,” Sima said, making the other chorus members snort.
“And you went along with all of it,” Nataly said with a little shake of her head. “You had to think the idea was odd and maybe a little insane, but you did it.”
He sounded a rumble of agreement. “Of course, but your friends said it would make you feel better and help prove my changed attitude. It wasn’t a hard decision to make.”
Nataly gave in and wrapped her arms around Daxus’s head and shoulders. He brought his hands up and pressed them gently against her back.
A cheer went up from everyone gathered. When she heard a few rattles of triumph, she looked up to see all the Talins emerging from behind her domicile, even Falkilm!
“Time for food!” Palathum declared, and the Talins got busy moving all the items they’d stored out of sight onto the “stage.”
“What’s going on?” she whispered to Daxus.
He didn’t move. “Palathum wanted to celebrate everyone’s effort with a communal meal.”
“What if I had shut the door in your face?” she asked, breathing in Daxus’s sweet lemon scent into her lungs. God, she’d missed him.
“Then they would’ve set everything up and left you and the humans to eat without any Talins present,” he said. “She was determined that you’d spend time with your community today, even if the musical didn’t work.”
“It worked,” she said with a watery chuckle. “I don’t know any girl who could’ve resisted it!”
What was that sound?she thought.Oh, that’s just my heart falling for this damn Talin!
Daxus
The tightness in his chest that had made it impossible to take a deep breath for the last few rotations finally eased. He was able to draw Nataly’s delicate scent deep into his lungs.
