Naskia rolled over in her bed. She had heard her pad beeping but had chosen not to answer it. It was the middle of the night and she was still lying in darkness unable to sleep. Her pad blinked showing there was a message waiting for her. She knew if someone was calling her at this time it had to be important but she wasn’t ready to face anyone just yet. She rolled back over closed her eyes and tried to force her brain to switch off but the pad’s light continued to blink in her mind’s eye.

She flipped back over and viewed the onscreen message. It was from Kiri.

“Recording in progress; Play from start, play live or ignore”

Naskia hit play from start. She expected to see Kiri’s face but instead she saw Niall standing over the camera. He was completely naked and Naskia gasped and covered her mouth as she saw the extent of the bruising along his side from where she had hit him. She was racked with yet more guilt.

Niall was addressing her directly. He was apologising to her for the things he said in their argument.

“Why is he apologising to me?! I nearly killed him!” she thought to herself.

Niall looked upset. Naskia’s eyes widened as Niall said that Kiri had threatened to eat him unless he cooperated with her.

“Kiri promised me she would take care of him, that she would treat him the same as I did. She said he hated me….why is he pleading to me for help?” Naskia thought to herself.

She continued to listen as Niall openly wept. Naskia felt tears coming to her eyes. Niall said he loved her. He looked like he meant it. Naskia felt her heart swell at hearing the words she’d wanted him to say the day before. She had always thought it was just her being silly and emotional but if Niall was saying it then there must be something there.

Niall was suddenly covered by a giant hand and dragged away from the screen. It was Naskia’s first glimpse of just how big even the little Kiri looked to him. She was surprised he wasn’t terrified all the time.

“No!” Naskia screamed at the screen.

Naskia could make out the figure of Kiri angrily chastising Niall. She gave him an ultimatum. Niall would never beg for his life, Kiri was going to kill him. There was a 20 second delay in the feed; Kiri could have swallowed him already. How could she stop her?!

“Why is she still holding me?!” Niall said still terrified dangling inside the massive maw. “Is she just leaving me here to torture me for as long as possible?”

Kiri was still contemplating whether to swallow him or not. It wasn’t power or lust she was feeling but simple curiosity. Niall was too small to evoke a feeling of power in Kiri. She was weighing up the problem of sorting out a new research project with the curiosity of feeling what it would be like to have a person living inside her for days.

“Kiri! Don’t you dare!” Kiri heard coming from somewhere in her room.

Kiri looked over at the source of the noise. It was her pad. Naskia’s face had appeared, she looked upset and angry. Kiri cursed herself for not turning off the pad. Niall must have had a channel open to her and Naskia had activated her end. She was tired and hadn’t been thinking straight when Niall had woken her up. She lifted Niall out of her mouth and held him in the air for Naskia to see.

Niall was relieved to be out of Kiri’s mouth but his arm was aching and he was still hanging over 100 feet up from the floor. Naskia’s face was on the pad’s screen. Niall felt relief as he realised she was trying to save him.

“Or what Naskia? You’re well over an hour away. I can do what I like with him.” Kiri said goading her.

“You’re my best friend Kiri! Why are you doing this?” Naskia shouted getting more and more upset.

“Because you’re my best friend Nas! You’ve let yourself become a puppet for this pathetic creature and someone has to put an end to it. He will ruin you. I was just going to scare him but I see now that I need to get rid of him for good.” Kiri said grasping Niall in her fist and tightening her grip.

“I’ll make it quick…I’m not that cruel.” Kiri said addressing Niall directly.

Niall felt dizzy, his heart was pounding in his ears and his side ached as the pressure around him increased. He felt the blood in his body start to be pushed up in to his head. He would have been grateful for the quick death had he not been filled full of hope at the sound of Naskia’s voice. He wanted to survive this so he could touch Naskia again. He would do whatever she wanted as long as she saved him.

“Kiri! If you hurt him I’ll give this recording to the police. You’ll ruin yourself. You’ll go to jail for at least a year. Do you really want that?” Naskia said playing her last card.

“If you hand me in then I’ll tell them about you nearly killing him with that slap. You’ll go to jail too.” Kiri replied feeling untouchable.

“I don’t care Kiri. I’m willing to go to jail if I have to. If you’re my friend you’ll put Niall back in his tank.” Naskia said.

The pressure on Niall started to decrease.

“Or I could turn off the pad and do what I want….” Kiri said. Niall was squirming in her fist but there was no way he could escape.

“If you turn off the pad I call the police straight away.” Naskia was desperate. “Now put Niall in the tank and put the pad in with him. I’ll make it worth it for you. I promise!”

Kiri stood there thinking. She was weighing up her options. If she harmed him or broke contact then her career in psychology could be cut very short indeed. Not quite what she had in mind. But she hated losing. There weren’t really any other options and Naskia always kept her promises. She didn’t want to risk a criminal conviction which would ruin all she had worked for so far. Besides, if Naskia didn’t make it worth her while then Kiri could always try to get a hold of Niall again.

“How will you make it worth it for me?” she asked.

“I have something for you to study. Something that could be just as interesting as Niall.” Naskia said.

“Fine….” Kiri said. She dropped Niall through the roof of the tank and set the pad inside against the wall.

Niall landed on his mat but it still hurt like hell on his already badly injured side. Kiri put the pad in against the wall as he tried to get up.

“Just stay down Niall.” Naskia said softly to him. “I’ve got this.”

“Kiri, take the tank through to my room and leave Niall in there on the desk.” Naskia ordered.

Kiri did as she was asked and carried the tank through to Naskia’s room and set it on the desk.

“Leave.” Naskia said.

“Are you coming home?” Kiri asked.

“I’ll be there in an hour. We need to have a talk. Face to face. I’ll be in touch with Niall until I get there so don’t think of trying anything.” Naskia said.

Niall had heard that tone before. It was just before Naskia had hit him. It sent a shiver down his spine. He wouldn’t want to be in Kiri’s shoes when Naskia arrived. He watched Kiri leave the room without looking back.

“Are you ok?!” Naskia asked Niall. Her voice had softened now they were alone.

Niall got up and approached the screen.

“Thank you. I thought I was done for sure.” Niall said.

“I can’t believe I left you with her. I nearly kill you and then hand you straight over to someone else who tries to kill you.” Naskia said in disbelief.

“I’m so sorry Naskia….for what I said. I promise I’ll be good from now on. I’ll do anything you want.” Niall said swallowing his pride and dropping to his knees before her image on the screen. He’d much rather take what he could get from Naskia after all that had happened.

“Don’t talk like that. I overreacted about your blog and you reacted how most people would if someone tried to silence them. And then I nearly killed you. Can you forgive me?” Naskia asked. This was now the third time she’d asked Niall to forgive her and she hated herself for it.

“Kiri told me you hated me…that you never wanted to see me again.” Niall said tentatively.

“Huh.” Naskia said. “She said the same about you to me. I think we should just assume everything Kiri has told us was just lies.”

“I’ll do anything you want Naskia, I’ll be a good pet, just don’t leave me again.” Niall said looking up at her on the screen.

Naskia felt terrible. Niall seemed broken. He was willing to give up his freedom and everything he had fought so hard to protect since he got here. Naskia blamed herself.

“Niall don’t worry. I will be there in an hour. Just stay awake and if Kiri walks through the door you call me. I’m going to wake my dad up and ask him to being me home so I have to cut the transmission but I’ll keep my pad on me at all times ok?” Naskia said trying to reassure him.

“Ok…I understand.” Niall replied.

“I’ll see you soon. I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise.” Naskia said ending the transmission.

Niall slumped against the pad. He locked his eyes on the door. If Kiri came through the door it would only be a few seconds before she’d be on top of him. Niall felt his eyelids wanting to close with the exhaustion of all he’d been through.

“Stay awake….just one more hour, then you can sleep as long as you like.” He said to himself.

Naskia crept into her parent’s bedroom and gently shook her sleeping father until he woke up.

“Naskia? What are you doing up?” Her father asked her like she was still 5 years old.

“I’m sorry Daddy; it’s an emergency. I wouldn’t ask but I have to go back to the university.” She said.

“Ok…ok. I’ll take you first thing in the morning.” Hussel said rolling over.

Naskia sighed and poked him.

“I have to go now, Daddy. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.” She said.

Hussel rolled back over and looked into his young daughter’s eyes. They were welling up. This was clearly important to her. He never could say no to her; not when she was 3, not when she was 23.

“Ok, ok. Go wait by the shuttle, but you owe me an explanation young lady.”

“Thank you Daddy!” Naskia said giving him a kiss on the cheek and heading out the door.

“You’re too good to that girl.” Naskia’s mother said sleepily before pulling Hussel’s share of the covers over herself.

Naskia and Hussel were travelling at several thousand feet in one of the designated civilian lanes north. The university was almost on the opposite side of the planet in the northern hemisphere. Naskia’s home and the university were almost in the same time zone. It would take roughly an hour to get home.

“So why is it so important you get home now?” Hussel asked her now he had the auto pilot activated.

“A few weeks ago, on my way back from the field trip to the high energy lab, our transport stopped at Titan Station and I bought a human.” Naskia said.

“A human? I didn’t think you were really interested in talking pets. I thought you preferred fluffier things.” Hussel enquired.

“Dad, I’m not a little girl anymore. I was feeling under a lot of pressure. I was having a lot of trouble with those high energy equations. I just couldn’t wrap my head around them and I didn’t want to ask for help cuz I want you to be proud of me….” Naskia continued.“I bought a human because I’d spent days in my room just working. I wanted someone to talk to and could maybe cheer me up….”

“So what does a human have to do with this?” Hussel asked.

“He’s not a normal human. Those equations that took me days to complete he could do in under an hour.” Naskia said studying her father’s face trying to gauge his reaction.

“I know because they can talk back and some are quite witty, humans can seem to be just like us but they are way too primitive to be able to do doctorate level mathematics Naskia.” Hussel said assuming Naskia was exaggerating.

“I’m not exaggerating Daddy. He was a researcher working on a nuclear fusion project on Earth. He taught me how to solve those problems. You’ll meet him and see for yourself.” Naskia said trying to emphasize her point.

“Ok. But even if he is intelligent what does this have to do with me picking you up in the middle of the night and bringing you home only to take you back again a few hours later?” her father asked. He was used to Naskia being long winded some times as she had inherited that trait from him but he was tired and annoyed.

“We had a falling out….so I wanted to come home. He just called me. Kiri tried to kill him. She only stopped because I was recording the conversation….” Naskia said finally getting to the point.

“No! Kiri? She’s such a nice girl! She would never hurt an insect let alone a sentient being.” Hussel said unsure to make of what he was hearing.

“I wouldn’t have believed it myself unless I didn’t have the recording to prove it….”

“Well I’m sure you two can work it out. You’ve been friends since you were kids. Is a pet really worth all this?” Hussel asked.

“It’s more complicated than that…I’ll explain better tomorrow. I’m just trying to think now…” Naskia said.

“Well I’ll drop you at your dorm and then I’m going to the staff rooms to sleep. You’re grown adults and can work this out yourselves….” He said.

“Ok, I’d rather talk to her alone.” Naskia said.

The light on her pad blinked. Niall had a sent her a text message.

“Still quiet here. ETA?” it said.

“20 minutes.” Naskia replied.

Kiri was pacing in her room trying to come up with a plan. Right now it seemed like she was going to lose both her best friend and a potentially award winning research project.

“Stupid Kiri! Stupid!” she cursed herself.

She had meticulously played Niall and Naskia against each other to ensure she could keep Niall for herself and would not lose Naskia’s friendship. All of it ruined by her own complacency. She should have taken Niall to lab straight away rather than jumping the gun and writing her research proposal with him still in the house.

“There must be a way to fix this….” She said.

Niall waited for what felt like an eternity. He knew Kiri was in the house and she was going to have some sort of a plan. She wasn’t just going to let him go. Would she?

Niall heard noise coming from outside the room. A door had slammed. He got ready to tap Naskia’s contact in case Kiri burst through the door. The door handle moved and the door swung open. Niall was about to tap the contact in panic when he recognised Naskia’s milky white skin as she swept through the door and straight over to him. She grabbed him in her hands so quickly it hurt his sides. He didn’t care.

Naskia held Niall to her chest with both hands. He was wedged between the soft skin of her palms and the even softer skin of her chest. He felt warm and safe for the first time since he had gotten back from the holosuite with her.

“Are you ok?” she asked after a minute raising him to her face. She was examining his side. The bruise she had left on him looked incredibly painful and she felt terrible.

“I’ve had better days…..”

“I know. It’s nearly over, I promise. I have a plan to deal with Kiri. Once I know she’s not a threat to you anymore then we can get around to sorting out our stuff. I just need you to play along with me ok?” She said trying show Niall she wasn’t worried.

“Ok….” He replied.

“Do you mind if I put you in my top? I want to keep you out of sight and safe.” Naskia said already moving him towards her massive chest.

Niall had just about had his fill with being stuffed into various orifices over the last few days but he agreed given the circumstances. He was happy that Naskia had even consulted him; he assumed he would be going wherever she chose to keep him.

Naskia carefully stowed Niall away in between her boobs. She noticed that Niall flinched a bit as she handled him. He hadn’t even done that when he first arrived. He’d clearly been traumatised over the last few days. When Niall was safe she could start to rebuild trust. She wanted this to be over but until Kiri had left for good Niall would not be safe. She put Kiri’s pad in her bag and went to find Kiri.

Naskia walked through to Kiri’s room and entered without knocking.

“He needs to sleep.” Naskia said to her.

“Good to know…” Kiri said unsure of what to do next. She was still annoyed that she might lose a friend and a thesis project all in one night.

“Get your shoes on, we’re going out.” Naskia said bluntly.

“I’m not going anywhere.” Kiri said emulating Naskia’s tone.

“We’re both going out. Niall is petrified of both of us and I want him to feel safe. Besides, I promised you something you’d like. It’s not here.” Naskia said.

“Fine.” Kiri sighed pulling her shoes on. “Where are we going anyway?”

“The Stranner building on the other side of campus, there’s something Niall was working on there you’ll be interested in.”

Niall could hear Kiri and Naskia talking on the way to the holosuite. They sounded cold and distant with each other. Kiri was making the odd bitchy remark which Naskia ignored.

“What could she possibly want with the holosuite?” Niall wondered.

Despite being scared out of his wits just knowing a confrontation with Kiri was coming Niall could barely stay awake. In the last 24 or so hours he had been beaten, healed, manipulated, stripped of his dignity, belittled and nearly eaten. He just wanted to rest and Naskia’s bosom was so soft, warm and snug his eyes kept fluttering shut and he had to rub them so they opened. The darkness, her smell and the slow pounding of her heart all added to the effect. The only thing keeping him awake was the constant ache in his sides which was made worse by the enormous weight pressing on them.

Naskia and Kiri eventually arrived at the holosuite which was unsurprisingly not in use at this time of the night. Naskia paid for an hour and led Kiri inside.

“A holosuite? Why are we in a holosuite?” Kiri asked confused.

Naskia set her bag down in the corner and took out Niall’s pad. She also used this as an opportunity to set him down in the corner.

“It’s one of Niall’s projects. I’ll show you.” Naskia said.

She tapped her fingers on the pad and then the walls shimmered and the light level rose to sometime around midday. Naskia and Kiri covered their eyes until they adapted. Naskia was greeted by the familiar sight of the city she’d visited the day before with Niall.

“Is this Earth?” Kiri asked.

“It is. There’s pretty much a whole city full of people here. I thought since you wanted to do your thesis on comparing modern Humans and Titans then this would help since Niall won’t be going near you from now on.” Naskia said.

“It’s pretty good, could be very useful. What’s it going to cost me?” Kiri asked looking Naskia square in the eye. There was no way Naskia would just give her this after seeing what she had tried to do to Niall, after finding out about all the manipulation and after hearing her insult Naskia.

“Leave the dorm. Go find someone else to live with.”

Kiri laughed.

“No way Naskia. It’s my home as well as yours. I’m not leaving.” Kiri crossed her arms signalling she was ending the discussion.

“But it’s Niall’s home too now. You have other friends you could live with. Niall doesn’t.” Naskia said trying to reason with her.

“Well if Niall wants to talk to me like a man rather than use his girlfriend to tell me this I might listen to him.” Kiri laughed.

Naskia tapped at some buttons on her pad.

Kiri felt someone approach her from behind and place a large hand on her shoulder.

“I was hoping you’d say that…” a masculine voice said.