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Amu was only half-listening as her and the three other Zyumans in her group tasked with guarding the Link Cube got their instructions. A lot of “we cannot allow this to fall into the wrong hands,” and “they had to take their jobs seriously,” most of which seemed to be directed at Leo, the lion Zyuman. They all seemed to be around the same age, which made sense, Amu supposed.
“Amu. Are you listening?”
“We are to guard this Link Cube with our lives, so that it doesn’t get taken by the wrong people,” Amu said dutifully.
“Hmmm,” the Zyuman in charge said, his body language signaling disapproval, as far as Amu could tell. Aquatic Zyumans weren’t as easy to read as others, and it didn’t help that his turtle face already seemed disapproving.
Fifteen minutes of instructions later, the four of them were on their first ever shift of Link Cube guarding. They would be on duty for 8 hours, with breaks to be taken in twos, and then a different group of four would take over. It was an honor to be chosen, Amu knew, although how Leo got chosen, she wasn’t quite sure, considering he was currently watching Tusk’s tail swing back and forth, instead of focusing on surveying his corner of the Link Cube.
When it was time for her break, Amu decided to talk with Sela, get to know her a little better. After all, they’d be working together for a long time.
“I’m Amu, you’re Sela-chan, right?” Amu asked as she sat next to Sela on one of the benches that the Guardians had for their break times. They had received their lunches, specially made for each Zyuman species just a few minutes before.
Sela nodded. Her body language suggested a wariness.
“I really like your head wrap, it’s very cute!” Amu said. It had been one of the first things she had noticed about the Shark, actually.
It didn’t seem Sela had expected that, but it broke the ice, Sela haltingly saying that she liked Amu’s jacket.
Amu kept the conversation light, focusing on fashion and hobbies, knowing that the two of them would have plenty of opportunities to talk. She thought that Sela was very cute in her mannerisms, just from this lunch break, and it was going to be a good time getting to know her.
It was a bit of an adjustment for Amu to go from having her own room to sharing one, but Sela was neat and tidy, which made it a little easier. Not that Amu was particularly neat, but Sela was cute when she tidied, all serious as she pushed up her sleeves to get the tough spots.
"You should help too, Amu," Sela remarked, adjusting her head wrap, a broom in her hand.
"The clutter helps me sleep," Amu explained, lounging in her tree. She had made sure not to let any clutter get on Sela's side, especially in the pool that doubled as Sela's bed, but she could see why it would bother a non-tiger Zyuman.
"Oh…" Sela said, considering it as she leaned on the broom. "What if we got you more blankets? To help you sleep?"
Amu thought about it, looking around the room. She had her rock and her climbing tree, as well as the bed, but none of them were shaded enough for her to comfortably sleep. While it was clear that the designer of the room had put thought into it, there were still some things that could use improvement.
"If we can hang them up, yes, that could help. A bit like curtains, I suppose? Should we ask for white and blue blankets? Since you'll have to see them on your side."
Sela nearly dropped the broom, but Amu jumped down from her tree and caught it. Sela was just too cute, she thought as she handed it back to the flustered Shark.
Amu stared at her spear before letting it fall from her hands. They were just ribbons. They didn’t do any harm, didn’t make her job any harder. And yet Tusk had yelled at her all the same.
“Amu?”
Amu climbed up on her rock, ready to groom herself. She didn't want to hear it. Tusk could apologize to her and Leo without using Sela as an in-between if he was truly apologetic.
“I talked to Tusk, you know,” Sela continued. “He’s sorry, he’s just bad at expressing himself. You know how he is.”
“Yes, well, he didn’t have to be so rude about it,” Amu sniffed. “Me and Leo are perfectly capable of guarding the Link Cube.” She silently added that the ribbons were cute and Tusk was taking every little thing far too seriously.
Sela let out a snort before covering her snout with her hands. “That…that was for Leo. Not you! You’re good at your job!”
Amu couldn’t help but laugh a little. Leo and Sela argued a lot, and despite Leo being a big cat Zyuman like her, Amu tended to take Sela’s side more, not that Sela needed her help. It was just that Sela was so cute.
“Amu…may I come up there?” Sela asked hesitantly after a few seconds of silence.
“Oh…sure!” Amu hadn’t thought that the Shark would want to come up, as it was a different habitat for her. She reached out a hand to help Sela up, noticing how different shark hands were than her own fur covered ones. She had expected it to be smooth, but in fact Sela’s hands were rough, and surprisingly dry for an aquatic creature.
Sela settled down on the rock, looking around before taking a deep breath.
“Would you like a hug, Amu?”
Amu blinked at her, surprised. Sela wasn’t super touchy. In fact, the touchiest of them was Leo, since he was a lion.
“I…would, yes.”
Sela put her arms around the Tiger, who leaned into her touch and wondered if Sela felt what she felt. Even if Tusk was a hard head, at least she had Sela, she thought to herself, no matter what.
"Hey, Sela-chan, want to go swimming?" Amu asked from her rock, looking over to the Shark, who was finishing a letter.
Sela looked up in surprise. "We wouldn't be at the same pool, unless you meant the river?" Sela was referring to the fact there were three pools: a fresh water one for mammalian Zyumans, a fresh water one for reptiles, amphibians, and freshwater aquatic Zyumans, and a salt water one for salt water aquatic Zyumans.
"I know, it's just so hot, and doesn't swimming sound fun?"
"Well…we could go to the river, if you're offering to swim with me, that's fine. Both places are probably busy, anyway, so might as well go where we can be together."
Sela sounded so cute and practical that Amu jumped down, throwing her arms around her. Sela patiently allowed it before unhooking Amu's arms. "Go get your stuff."
It actually wasn't terribly busy at the river, with a few people the two of them knew there, but no Tusk or Leo.
"Wanna race?" Sela asked once the two of them had run into the water, Amu squealing at the temperature.
"Oh, you're gonna win for sure," Amu said dramatically, tipping back so she could float on her back.
Sela stood over her before dipping into the water, swimming in circles around Amu, making Amu laugh.
"Fine, fine, ready?"
The two of them raced, Amu putting her all into it for exactly one race, knowing how it would upset Sela if she didn’t, before declaring that Sela was far too fast and she was going to just paddle around and enjoy the water. They had fun with Amu throwing a rock and Sela going down to find it, with no need to worry about Sela not getting enough air.
When they got back to their room, Amu wished she could dry Sela, but Sela didn't quite need that.
To her surprise, Sela got out a towel, offering to help dry Amu, saying she had looked up Tiger habits.
Once Amu was dry, Amu invited Sela up to her rock, falling asleep with her head in Sela's lap.
"Hey, want to go shopping later, when we get off?" Amu asked as she ate her lunch with Sela. "Since we get that week off soon, I wanted to get my mom some souvenirs, plus new clothes!"
Sela paused in her eating. "I don't really like shopping…"
"Pleease? We haven't hung out much out of watching the Link Cube and being roommates still!" Amu said, reaching out to hang on to Sela's arm. "And we can watch a movie, too!"
Amu could see Sela wavering. "I'll pay~"
Sela hummed. “I could use some souvenirs for my family, so let’s go. But can I choose the movie?”
Amu nodded, throwing her arms around Sela. “Yay! It’s a date!”
Sela nodded, her shark grin just a tad bigger than it had been. “Eat your food, Amu, we still have work.”
Three hours later, the two of them were arm in arm, Amu with several bags on her arm and Sela with one, looking at the posters at the cinema.
“Which movie are we watching, Sela-chan?”
Sela was clearly considering carefully before pointing to a poster for Pell-Mell , which wasn’t what Amu had expected, but had sounded cute when she was looking up movies earlier.
“Sounds good, should we get popcorn?”
Once they got in and sat down, Amu settled in, placing the fish-flake covered popcorn in between them.
It was cliche, Amu knew, but accidentally brushing fingers while reaching for the popcorn at the same time still sent a thrill up her spine.
And when Sela put her head on Amu’s shoulder? Amu could honestly say she had never been happier.
+1
Being human was definitely…strange. Amu kept some of her Tiger characteristics, but having all their emotions have a corresponding “face” was…odd.
Still, Sela was extremely cute as a human, and Amu was learning some of the human customs. One that came up often in both books and movies was kissing. It intrigued her, and she wanted to try it. It sounded semi-similar to grooming, a way to show affection, but she just wasn’t sure Sela would like it.
“What are you thinking about?” Sela asked, sitting on the swing seat with Amu, who was brushing her tail.
“Hmm? Oh, not much,” Amu said, doing a few last brushes and tying it back up. She looked around, mildly surprised to not see the boys around. “Where’s everyone?”
“Errands for Leo and Tusk, I think Yamato went to the university?”
Amu nodded, about to get off the swing, when Sela’s hand on her wrist stopped her. It was a very different feeling, skin on skin, not scales on fur, but Amu didn’t mind. Not when it was still the same Sela inside.
“What is it, Sela-chan?”
Sela was doing the thing where her cheeks turned a different color, Yamato had been surprised when it was blue and not pink. Mixed characteristics had been his guess, but Amu thought it was cute either way.
“Sela-chan?”
Sela mumbled something that Amu couldn’t quite catch.
“I don’t have your super-hearing, Sela-chan, what was it?”
“I said…I want to kiss you!” Sela burst out. “I keep seeing it in media and want to try it with you!”
“Oh? Oh!”
Amu would have giggled, but that would mean Sela would leave out of embarrassment and she most certainly did not want that. Instead, she sat so she was facing Sela, putting her hand on Sela’s cheek before drawing closer.
Sela’s lips were soft, Amu thought, as Sela also brought her hands up to cup Amu’s face. Amu could see why this was a human custom, since it was very enjoyable.
When Amu drew back, needing air, she put her forehead against Sela’s, smiling as she caught Sela’s eyes.
Now she could giggle, her smile making it almost impossible to kiss Sela again, though not for a lack of trying.