“Then staying with me is…work? You do not enjoy my company.”

Qalu felt the sting of that question in her own chest, and too late, she saw what she had implied. That he was all research to her, data to be logged, results to chart. How can I fix this?

“I enjoy spending time with you,” she said quickly. “Currently you’re my favorite person. But it’s also true that your existence informs my work. Which I also happen to love.”

Perhaps I didn’t put that well.

“I am your favorite person,” he repeated—a statement, not a question.

At first, she thought he was questioning the “favorite” part but when she looped the words in her own head, she detected a faint stress on the final word, as if it mattered to him greatly be considered a person. He had been, even before he gained flesh. Yet he seemed to find validation in her assertion.

“You are.”

“Would you say that we’re friends?” he asked.

“Definitely. What do you think?”

“I’m still figuring out what that means. Before, I thought I was close to someone, but I always felt the crushing need to be useful, as if I would be discarded otherwise. I’m not sure how I fit into a world where I receive benefits regardless of my contribution.”

Not for the first time, Qalu wished her touch imparted comfort. “Benefits?”

“You shelter me, feed me, provide for me in all respects. And now, you’ve brought me to observe art for personal inspiration. And yet you ask nothing in return.”

“Your company is valuable,” she said. “So are your thoughts. I enjoy hearing them.”

“I have difficulty adapting to that outlook,” he admitted.

“That you have value outside of any labor provided?”

“Yes.”

“Then…imagine our situations were reversed. Am I worthless if I cannot give you food? If I lacked the resources to continue as we are?”

“Certainly not,” he said at once. “You’re a brilliant person.”

“So are you.”

“Oh,” he said, his voice deep and soft. “I’m…feeling something new.”

“Can you describe the sensation?”

“It’s confusing. But…I’ll try. My chest hurts a little, but not like the pain from before, when I first woke up. It’s something else. I’m happy too. I know how that feels, but there’s more to it. And I want to be…closer to you.”

“Physically or emotionally?”

“Both? I think it’s both.”

At hearing that, Qalu took two steps forward, bringing herself close enough to inhale the scent of his skin. They used the same hygiene products yet they smelled different on him somehow, deeper and richer with hints of spice. “Better?”

“Yes. But it’s not enough. What do I want exactly?” He wasn’t asking to tease her.