Space Man

Good Grace's

Xisuma's POV

I couldn’t stop berating myself as I walked away from Keralis. I'm such a damn derp. But honestly, I couldn’t help it anymore. The heatstroke? Yeah, technically, it was my fault, but that’s the thing — I didn’t even realize I was overheating at first. I was too busy just... enjoying being around Keralis. Seeing him smile like that, so carefree and easygoing, made me forget everything else. It felt like the world had slowed down, and nothing mattered except being near him.

But now? Now I could see the consequences of my carelessness, and it stung more than I thought it would. Keralis was upset with me — no, furious — and all I could think about was how I messed up something that was so simple. I couldn’t even enjoy the moments with him without screwing things up.

"Why do I always do this?" I muttered to myself.

I kept replaying the conversation in my head. The way Keralis had told me to leave, his voice calm but so, so distant. It hurt more than I expected, and I could tell I wasn’t just upset for myself — I was upset because I had hurt him. And it wasn’t like me to cause anyone pain. Especially not someone who... well, someone like him.

I felt like an idiot. All I wanted was to make things right, but everything I did seemed to just make it worse.

I made him feel like he was babysitting me, and that’s the last thing I ever wanted. Keralis had always been there for me, always making sure I didn’t overdo it, and I hated that I’d put him in a position where he felt responsible for me. He wasn’t my keeper, my caretaker, or some sort of guardian. He was my equal, my partner, and I needed to start acting like that.

The way he’d looked at me when he told me to leave — it was clear. He was frustrated, but it wasn’t just frustration. It was disappointment, maybe even... exhaustion. He’d done so much already, and I just kept making it harder for him. I could tell he wasn’t angry out of malice; he was angry because he cared. And I took that for granted.

I didn’t want him to feel like he had to look after me anymore. I didn’t want to be the problem he always had to fix. I needed to prove to him that I could take care of myself — that I wasn’t just a burden.

But the thought of him not needing me around, of him being angry at me... It stung. It felt like I was losing something precious. I couldn’t let it get to that point. Not again.

"I’ll show him," I whispered to myself, determination creeping in. "I’ll show him I can do better. I won’t screw up again."

I wasn’t sure how I was going to do it yet, but I couldn’t back down.

I was so deep in thought, replaying the conversation with Keralis in my head, that I didn’t even notice Doc and Ren standing right in front of me. I almost ran straight into them, barely stopping in time.

“Whoa there!” Doc said, raising an eyebrow. “You alright, Xisuma? You look like you’re in another world.”

Ren chuckled, nudging Doc’s arm. “Yeah, you were definitely lost in thought there. Something on your mind?”

I blinked a couple of times, shaking myself out of the daze. “Ah... yeah, just... thinking about some stuff,” I muttered, trying to keep it vague. I didn’t want to burden them with the mess in my head.

Doc studied me for a moment, his eyes narrowing a little. “You sure? You’re usually the one giving advice, not needing it.”

Ren tilted his head, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. His wolf ears dropped a little in mock concern. “Oh no... mom and dad are fighting???” He placed a hand dramatically on his chest, looking up at the sky as if he were about to burst into tears.