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Britz slowly drifted back to consciousness. His thoughts fuzzy, he slowly tried to piece together where he was. It was a lot warmer than the beds in the dormitory, not to mention… heavier.
He opened his eyes and looked around. To his left was Sheena, her head resting on his shoulder as she peacefully slept. Seeing Sheena usually filled his heart with joy, and while this was no exception, her serene expression and close contact was almost too much for his heart to bear. Behind him, his tail started to wag. He faintly recalled that they had been comparing their favorite stories and how they differed between their two countries.
Sheena was not only his first friend, but the first good thing to happen to him as a whole since coming to Gasco. Hated by both his countrymen and the people of Gasco, the only purpose he had for continuing had been just his family. It was only after meeting Sheena that he began to feel a new sense of purpose, choosing to join the crew of the Taranis and fight for the sake of Gasco. He was thankful for Sheena and all the good she had brought him. After all, it was her vouching for him that had convinced the others to allow him on board. While he slowly began to garner their trust, he couldn’t help but still feel like an outsider at times. They had even welcomed him back aboard after he abandoned them and fought to slow their pursuit of the Tarascus. Yet despite that, he still doesn’t feel like he was truly part of the crew. That sense of loneliness only really starts to go away around Sheena, after all.
Noticing a stray lock of hair in front of her face, Britz tried to reach up to brush it out of the way, only to find his arm pinned. Confused, he finally looked away from his favorite Felineko and realized the situation he was in. At some point during their discussion, the pair had fallen asleep. This wasn’t that unusual, what with sleep not being consistent for the residents of the Taranis between sudden attacks and nightmares. The children had become prone to nodding off whenever they had a moment of peace and quiet. What was unusual, especially for Britz, was that this nap session had some uninvited guests.
Mei was snuggled into his chest, snoring peacefully. To his right was Chick, clinging to his arm and rendering it immobile. On Sheena’s left was Hack, never far from his twin. Finally, Wappa was sprawled across both their legs in a way that could not possibly be comfortable.
If Britz’s heart was full before, it was now bursting with joy, his tail wagging at full speed. For the first time since his father had left them, he began to feel like he finally had a place he truly belonged, with people who actually cared about him.
What a shame that this joy was overshadowed by a desperate need to use the bathroom.