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Xefros felt his blood pusher ache as stared at Joey who slept in a cot across from him inside of Dammek's bunker. Ever since his arrival from Earth, they seem to have grown increasingly farther apart. He seemed to trust Jude more than him anymore. Although like most nights he still decided to watch over them as they slept.
It was nights like this that Xefros felt the most guilty.
When he would think of when Joey had inadvertently shoosh-papped him.
When she gripped his hand instinctively without a second doubt.
Whenever her hand would wipe his scars with disinfectant then wrap whatever laceration was afflicted onto him with gauze. Or more recently before Dammek had arrived back to Alternia, and she had used her sweater to make some sort of sling for his broken arm.
Everytime she didn't hesitate to help him. In fact she did it with compassion and kindness. Whenever Xefros looked into her eyes it was as if she wanted to do it.
All he wished was that it wasn't just her that would take care of him.
He wishes that he could be the one to cradle her. For her to press herself against him for warmth and security. But he could care less about the notion that she was doing it to make him feel better.
He wanted her to feel okay, too.
Whenever he looked at her these confusing thoughts swirled in his head. It was so hard to differentiate what was pale and what was red. Their relationship had turned into a blushy-rogue the same tint she once described her ballet slippers being.
Xefros felt his face heat up at the memory.
He was riding behind her on Dammek's lusus yet he could hear her grin through her words as she describes her old life.
The wide gestures she made with one hand at a time as she tried to keep one on the reins connected to Dammek's lusus at all times were simply put "adorable".
Her gleeful and excitable tone rubbed off Xefros just by being in her presence.
Xefros subconsciously reached his hand to her, only to freeze in his place as her brother on the other side of her watched over Joey's sleeping side with wide eyes that communicated that if his disgusting burgundy blooded-self reached even a single hand on his sister he would regret it.
Xefros didn't blame him. He can barely carry himself right in front of a person like her without stuttering or hurting himself every two minutes in poor efforts to protect her.
Xefros retracted his hand as Jude laid back down. The gray-tinted boy still kept his golden eyes on his friend as she slept.
And with a small grimace he eventually closed his eyes and submitted himself to sleep.