The evening sun shone through the window much as the day before, again filtering through the stacked wooden boxes that still crowded the room. Only a few had been dealt with since the previous afternoon, and Niv found himself struggling to progress any faster. His mind was elsewhere, leaving his hands idly fuss over the books on the shelf, when he should have been adding to them.

        Though he knew the meeting would take a while, he hadn't expected Mela would be gone quite so long. Concern over her absence quickly overshadowed any interest in her findings. In a burst of frustration, he forced himself away from the shelves. Facing into the room made him stop and look around.

        Their home was actually quite modest, but it was such a large space to stand in, far too big for someone like him. Though the architecture imitated the modern style of the Great City, similar to his own home, it was still built with the locals in mind. Northern Fioans averaged over seven feet in height, and most of the town reflected that. And here he was, just some human. In this huge room. In this giant house. In that massive town. Tiny. Alone.

        A light wrapping at the door broke the silence, startling him. Mela wouldn't have knocked, so he again wondered who might come calling and why. His mind kicked into overdrive, producing worst-case scenarios. A peek through the curtain was not enough this time, as all he could see was bright sunlight. Doing his best to keep his nerves calm, his only recourse was to open the door.

        As yesterday, he found his father-in-law waiting for him, this time crouching to investigate the planter of flowers near the ground. The Fioan looked up at him with that polite smile.

        “Hello Niv." Sab stayed low as he spoke, his voice a smooth rumble. “I trust you are well."

        “Uh, yeah. I'm alright." Niv replied. “Uh, Mela hasn't come home yet…"

        “I know." Sab said, turning pack to the planter. “We have just recently finished. I came to tell you, she shall be a while yet."

        “Oh… o-okay." Niv said. “Thank you."

        “I am glad to help." The tiger's tone was pleasant as he offered a little smile to the flowers. A hint of anticipation hung in the silence afterward, though, the smile fading. His voice was quieter, less confident when he spoke up again, still looking down at the blooms. “I would like to speak with you. May I come in?"

        “Oh. Uh, yeah, yes. Of course." Niv gestured into the house, stepping aside to make way. Sab smiled up at him before standing and passing with a shallow bow. “Um, sorry for the state of things. We're still settling in. Can I, uh, get you anything? I'm not sure what we have… but I can look." He offered nervously.

        “That is not necessary." Sab said politely.

        “Is… Is everything alright?" The young man asked, his hands fidgeting. “Did something happen?"

        “No, no, everything is fine." Sab was quick to reassure him with a casual tone and calming gesture. “Mela is simply running an errand, no need to worry."

        “A-alright. Uhm." Niv wrung his hands nervously. “What did you want to talk about, then? …Sir." Sab looked him over with an expression that did not inspire confidence. It was as though he had anticipated Niv's discomfort, but hoped against it.

        “I have been instructed to first give you this." Sab reached into his pouch and produced a small object wrapped in wax paper, presenting it with an open hand. Niv had instinctively reached out before seeing the item, stopping short once he recognized it. He gave it a pained look, his fingers curling as he drew back. He glanced up at the tiger's face, then back to the object.

        It was a semi-exotic sweet he and Mela both enjoyed, but more importantly used for small apologetic gestures. Forgetting something, being late, etc.; little things to make up for, but not pressing issues. Sab was told to offer this, so it had to be on her behalf. That meant she not only wanted to apologize for something, but it was very important that she did it right away. Sab couldn't talk to him until this had been done, and he had just come from their meeting. There was a chill in Niv's blood as he realized there was only one thing it could mean.

        “She told you…"

        Sab raised an eyebrow, looking curiously at the candy. The face he made confirmed that he didn't know how the two were connected. After a pause, Niv slowly reached out to accept the sweet. The tiger's understanding of the significance was clear. Niv eyed it thoughtfully, then turned back to the tiger with a guilty look, like a child caught in a lie. Sab gestured for him to take the one open seat in the room, then cleared a space on the floor, and sat cross-legged in front of him.

        “It was not easy for her." He explained. “Rarely have I seen her so torn. And I fear I may have put undue pressure on her." He looked away thoughtfully. “But knowing the truth, she eventually decided it was the correct thing to do. To be quick and done, rather than slowly agonize." Sab said, giving the young man a pleading look. “Please do not be upset with her, she did not intend to hurt you."

        “I know." Niv replied with a slight nod and a quiet voice, subtly fidgeting with the candy. Whether he meant to draw attention to it or not, Sab's observation of the gesture made his understanding apparent. The Fioan nodded, and moved on.

        “I must tell you, I laughed when she laid out the truth." Sab said with a weary smile. “Not because I thought it absurd, but because of the great irony it was to be the subject of my own worries." Niv frowned at him, confused and concerned as he worried at the wax paper. Sab leaned forward, crossing his arms over his lap and looking Niv in the eye.

        “I have never disliked you." The Fioan spoke with a gentle and assuring tone. “I have indeed kept my distance. But my behavior has been misinformed, and I am deeply sorry for the distress I have caused you." He said. “I thought I was giving you the space you desired, convinced that you did not like me."

        “Wh-" Niv's confusion grew immensely, and he gave the Fioan an incredulous look. “Why wouldn't I like you?" His face hardened, utterly baffled by such an absurd idea. The elder took a deep breath, and it seemed he was thinking on how best to explain himself.

        “I could not see in you what I have easily seen in countless others. I… do not know why." Sab shrugged. “As a result, I misunderstood your behavior, and proceeded as I have." The tiger looked him in the face, and he hadn't the nerve to keep the hard expression. “I felt very foolish indeed, how obvious it was once Mela offered her… insight." He gave a little smile, tapping a finger to his temple. “She was respectfully vague, of course."

        “But… aren't you a big-time diplomat? With decades of experience on this kind of thing?" Niv's brow furrowed and he gestured for emphasis. “How did I of all people throw a wrench in that?" Again, the elder seemed to think on his words, taking a moment to examine the floor.

        “I am accustomed to having much more common ground with Mela's partner." He began. “In hindsight, I have relied very heavily on that to… ease things. When lacking a common thread, I attempt to create one. You were…" His eyes flitted about, never leaving his lap. He again looked Niv in the face as he finally got to the point. “We have none, it seems, and you appeared to have no interest. But I could not simply leave, our lives are entangled now. Suddenly I was a cub lost in the wild."

        Niv's eyes wandered as he tried to absorb the information, though his gaze remained low. Their encounters replayed in his head, as so many times before, but under a new light. He wondered if this was how it had felt for Mela during breakfast. Perhaps how Sab had felt as well. It all made so much more sense to him now.

        “Ohhhh…" The word came out as a breath, heavy with disappointment and guilt. “I'm an idiot." Niv whispered to himself. He stared through the floor, a hint of tears welling up in his eyes.

        “Then we are of a kind." Sab gave him a knowing smile, holding Niv's gaze as the young man looked to him. A moment of silence passed between them as the elder let his words soak in, Niv looking away again. The Fioan straightened himself, leaving his shoulders slack and folding his hands on his lap. “I understand you will need time to process this, much of it alone," Sab switched to his more formal manner, “but I would like to stay with you for now." He paused, reading the human's face. “If I may. It would be irresponsible to leave you with these thoughts so abruptly."

        “But springing them on me is fine." Niv teased with a small grin, his eyes still on the floor. He glanced at the Fioan, who sheepishly averted his gaze, offering a contrite smile. The feline sighed, rubbing the back of his hand.

        “I am not too proud to admit I…" Sab paused, “may, have yielded to an impulse in being so direct. Such a weight was lifted, I found myself moving at great…" he paused again, thoughtfully, “perhaps eager, speed. I may not have fully considered the consequences."

        “Wait." Niv said, giving the elder a skeptical look as a few pieces fell together in his head. “Did you rush straight over here… just for this?" He absently slipped the candy into a pocket, preoccupied with the idea. It did a lot to undermine the intimidation he felt around the elder, and the tiger's embarrassed silence all but confirmed it. Niv gave him a questioning look.

        “You make it seem trivial." The Fioan's tone was lighthearted at first, becoming serious as he continued. “It was important to put you at ease, and I felt responsible for doing so personally." He looked down at his hands, guilt returning to his face. “It is important to me that you feel welcome, both in this place, and in this family. I have so far failed you, and felt the weight of it all at once. How could I not jump at the chance to make up for it? I can only hope the sincerity of my intent outweighs the… coarse execution."

        Niv sighed with frustration, suddenly grappling with his feelings. He struggled to find words as the elder looked up at him, patiently waiting for a response. A twisting, uneasy sensation arose in his gut. Such overt compassion felt so familiar, so… dangerous. He desperately wanted to believe in it this time, but he'd heard words like this before. The drying tears started to burn at the edge of his eyes.

        A worried expression began to take shape on the tiger's face as the silence grew. Niv couldn't look at him for long, but felt the mounting pressure to say something. This was what he wanted, right? For everything to be okay? So why couldn't he just accept that it was? Was it so hard to believe that Sab was acting in good faith? But something within him still refused.

        What had he done though? Sab's words threatened to ring hollow because of past inaction. But it was the inaction of others, their broken promises. Was that fair to him? His words arose from the action they promised; he was already here, doing it. He'd taken it upon himself to put things right the moment he knew it was possible. Was it really so hard to believe, then? No, absolutely not.

        “Wou-" Niv began, but the word scraped at his throat, causing a momentary coughing fit. Once it passed, he took a deep breath and wiped his eyes with his sleeve. He gave Sab a weary look. “Would you mind… helping me with some of this?" He asked, indicating the piled boxes.

        “I would be delighted." The Fioan smiled, and though it was subdued, Niv could see his relief and joy as the man stood. Sab offered him a hand, pulling him to his feet once accepted. His deep voice purred with enthusiasm. “Where shall we begin?"

        “Where indeed…"