Ty was in his bed at home, struggling to stay asleep. The morning sounds of the scavenger town floated through the thin walls; people preparing their morning food, puttering in their gardens, children laughing. Ty yanked the big fluffy blanket up to his chin.

Doc had apparently made some sort of mega-blanket for him, because it felt like snuggling into the velvety coat of some heavenly, warm creature, but Ty’s face felt itchy and he knew he should get up and shower and head out to the desert.

Ty opened his eyes sleepily. His vision was doubled and blurry and as it adjusted he found himself starring, puzzled, at the ceiling of a cavern covered in tiny, unfamiliar runes. The morning sounds of the scavenger town faded back into his dream and the events of the past three days flooded back into Ty’s mind alarmingly.

He jumped to sit bolt upright, the fluffy blanket flying askew, he gasped and clutched his chest reflexively, amazed to be alive. When he’d gathered his composure he peeked under his hand. Where the smoldering wound had torn his chest, there was now a light blue starburst scar centered on his sternum and spreading jagged arms up his chest and down his belly.

Ty poked at it timidly. It felt like it always had, right down to the budding hairs on his chest. If it weren’t for the blue scar he would have thought the wound was a nightmare. Ty suddenly remembered Siona, sleeping in the library. He looked around, concerned, but he did not see her.

He was in a large circular chamber, like the one he had first found Siona in. A sunbeam fell from the ceiling and outlined the space he had been sleeping in. Ty imagined, bemused, that Siona must think sunbeams shining down from above were romantic, and he was inclined to agree with her. His gaze fell on the blanket, which had apparently been the only real part of his dream.

Pulling it to his face, he found it was fluffy and luxuriously soft. It was also a familiar pale blue and smelled like the sky. Siona had definitely made it, probably out of herself as she had done her own hair and the halter top she wore when he first met her. Ty marveled at the complexity of her work and wrapped the blanket around him.

Ty saw his pants neatly folded, his sword and other gadgets lying on top of them. His ruined shirt was hung on a salient pipe – the sight was sobering. There was not much of it left.

Ty fingered the jagged scar on his chest again.

“In ancient times, warriors would decorate themselves with scars in the color of their Ballenta.” A solemn, feminine voice spoke from beside Ty. He flung himself sideways, startled, tangling himself in the blanket.

Siona was perched gracefully in a low stone pillar, her knees pulled up to her chest and her arms crossed around them with her breasts plumping out slightly on either side. She had not been there an instant before. Ty righted himself and drew the blanket around his naked waist, realizing the irony of using the girls own body to hide himself from the girl.

“They would display them proudly. They were a mark of honor, and of love.” Her voice was low and wistful, but Ty heard unfathomable sadness in it, as though it were trembling just below the surface.

“This… you healed me?” Ty marveled. Siona only nodded. “You saved my life.”

“And you saved mine.” Siona replied. “Besides, caring for her mate is a girl’s duty, right?” Siona beamed alluringly at Ty. Ty smiled at her. It once made him nervous, but he was beginning to enjoy when Siona called him her mate.

Ty stretched out on the floor, wiggling his toes which were dirty from the barefoot walking through the ruins. Siona slid her way closer to him. “Did you like my blanket?” she asked, taking a corner of it up to her chest.

“It’s amazing.” Ty laughed. “Just looking at it makes me sleepy. I could curl up in it and snooze for days.” Ty curled his arm around Sionas bottom and pulled her closer. “Especially with such a beautiful girl beside me.” She giggled and lay down next to him, putting her arms around his neck.

Ty still felt a little weak, and he was sleepy. They lay together in silence under the blanket, peacefully listening to each other’s breath.

“When we get out of here” Ty began, speaking in a low and wistful tone, “I want to take you back to Doc Rhombs town. I want to show you to everybody I know. I want to show you to them. I want them to see that you’re mine.”

“You can stay at my place of course, once I’ve convinced Doc not to do all kinds of tests on you, and Nali and the rest of the kids that you aren’t a monster. You could even come with me into the desert if you like. We’ll explore ruins farther out than anybody has ever been. I feel like… like I want to find everything beautiful in the world and give it to you.”

Ty had been staring dreamily up at the ceiling. He turned and looked Siona in the eyes and kissed her on the forehead. “I want to pull stars down and put them in your hair.” She bit her quivering lower lip, and tears trickled down her face. Ty wiped them away with his thumb. “Do you cry on purpose? Or like humans do?” he asked, absently. She shook her head, “No… I cry like you do.” She said, and sighed. Ty kissed the tears off of her cheeks.

Ty cradled Sionas head to his chest, and they lay together in silence a while longer. Ty began to notice, shamefully, that his face itched and he felt faintly filmy.

“I must smell awful.” Ty mused apologetically.

“You do.” Siona chirped up from Ty’s chest, grinning, her eyes still closed.

“Heh, I guess I’m lucky, you always smell wonderful. Not much I can do until we get out, though, so I guess you’re stuck with a stinky Ty.” Ty blushed and grinned sheepishly, becoming painfully self-aware.

“Well…” Siona sat up, her breasts brushing along Ty’s chest softly as she rose. The blanket slid down her and gathered at the small of her back.

“Since we’re together now, I could… um, you know…” she trailed off. She smiled, but absently poked her nail-less index fingers together below her chin and glanced around, seeming shy to reveal her idea. “I could… would you let me… clean you? pleasesayyes.”