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Jack wove the needle in and out of the fabric with clumsy fashion. His mother pounded the lessons into him and he heard her nagging voice ringing in his ears about being prepared. She'd foisted that box of old sewing supplies on him before he moved out what seemed like ages ago. “Try them now," he said as he tossed the pair of shorts into the bathroom. A moment later Lys limped out wearing a new pair of “koboldized" shorts.

“Good enough." She looked up at Jack with a warm smile. “More shorts?" In the end mother had been right.

“Later." He rubbed his fingers together for a moment, having almost stabbed himself earlier getting the needle out of the box. “I'm not much of a tailor, you'd think more kobold would know how to sew." The challenge had been convincing Lys to let him out of her sight long enough to go shopping.

Lys adjusted her shorts a bit more. “Jack is fine. Lys never had time to learn. A kobold who sews has many friends."

“Sounds like a proverb." He gathered up the stuff into a plastic container and put it back in the closet. The door struggled to close. The crap pile threatened to force its way into the bedroom.

“Jack didn't need to get clothes."

“It's nothing." He put his shoulder into it and the rubbish gave up, but not before It reminded him of his bruises. “Couldn't have you running around with no shorts on." He gave her a sly look. “Or could I?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

She flicked her long, slick tongue out at him. “Jack one who scared of being naked."

“Not scared, there's a time and place for everything." The dusty bedroom clock showed 11:55. “And right now it's time for lunch." Jack started for the living room.

“Lys hungry too," she said while in tow.

Jack winced for a moment and looked up at the ceiling as if for heavenly guidance. “I am hungry too," he said.

Lys stopped and looked up at him confused. “Lys know Jack hungry, Lys hungry too."

“No, I mean instead of saying 'Lys hungry too' you should say 'I am hungry too'." His tone grew bothered.

“Why? Lys talk like Lys always talked." Her tail flicked in that peculiar way.

Jack scratched his head, trying to give himself some time to explain without turning into a dick about it. “The way Lys, I mean you talk." His eyes darted this way and that, but nothing came to mind. “It needs work." He went for the fridge, trying to downplay the sensitive subject.

“How needs work? Lys talk fine." She scampered after him as fast as her leg would allow. Her tail brushed the floor in rapid, erratic swipes.

The fridge door opened with a gentle tug and Jack hid behind it as he rummaged around. He turned a bottle of ketchup over in his hands. high fruticose corn syrup and tomatoes never looked so interesting before. “What do you want for lunch?"

“Does Jack think Lys sound stupid?"

“Did I say that? I just said it—"

A claw prodded him in the rear, those blasted claws were sharp as ever. “How can be better?" she asked.

“Let's discuss it over lunch." Flecks of ice scattered about when he opened the freezer. “How about burritos?" He yanked the bag out and dangled it in front of her. “Come on, don't look at me like that."

“How can be better?"

Jack groaned, why did he bring it up. "When I go to the store, I say 'I'm going grocery shopping', not 'Jack going grocery shopping'." He gave the bag a sharp tug, almost tearing it in half.

“So?"

“So." The burritos clattered onto the plate and Jack arranged them while Lys watched, “It's not correct." The microwave door opened with a loud thunk. The stained interior needed cleaning a month ago. A few beeps later the turntable began to squeal and rattle. Lys limped over to the microwave watching the frozen lumps rotate. The smell of cheap burritos filled the kitchen.

“Is how Lys has always talked," she said with some distain. Her tail started to flit back and forth and then she tapped on the microwave window. “How does work?" Three loud beeps erupted from the microwave, causing her to flinch.

“The microwave…microwaves. It's light or something." The door popped open and small wisps of steam rose off the junk food where the fillings bled through. Jack reached inside, poking each burrito several times with his finger. Lys cocked her head at the odd ritual. “Just because you've always done it that way doesn't mean it's right. Humans are picky about that sort of thing." He took the plate and pointed at the drawer. “Get some forks, please."

A cacophony of scattered silverware rang out. Lys held two forks in her claws with a look of victory on her muzzle, but it turned to a frown. “Is Jack trying to make Lys into pet?"

He stood there looking at her until he remembered the hot plate in his hand. The ceramic banged against the turntable. “What in the world do you mean?"

“Jack keeps teaching things to Lys, trying to make her into little human. Is Jack wanting to make Lys into little human to follow Jack around?"

“What? No. I'm trying to show you some things to make life a little bit easier. Besides, we already have little humans, we call them children."

“Well Lys isn't human and Lys isn't child."

Jack divided up the burritos and gestured for her to sit down. "I never said you were. What's bringing this on?"

The wooden chair squealed against the tile floor and Jack heard a faint creak. The kobold sat down with a worried look on her face. “What's going to happen to Lys? Could learn to talk like human and eat like human, will never be human and Lys don't want to be human." Her claws drummed against the table. Her expression turned to panic, the likes of which he hadn't seen since he found her in the trunk.

“I don't want you to be human. I want you to be better prepared."

“Prepared for what? Clothes, heavy metal, and forks. What all this for?" She looked down at the plate and began turning it around with her shaky claws. “Eating with fork won't impress kobolds and heavy metal can't feed Lys."

“I'll think of something."

She gripped the table with her claws. “Jack say that yesterday. What is 'something'? Is Lys going to hide in Jack's apartment forever?" The elephant in the room got its due. A scaly, tiny elephant with pleading eyes, sharp claws, and difficult questions. The past few days felt like a fever dream. A pleasant one that he wanted to never end, but reality was the assassin of dreams.

“Maybe?" he asked.

“So, Jack does want Lys for pet?"

The burritos had to be cold by now. “It was a joke."

“Lys not laughing, is serious. Lys thank Jack for everything, but…" she looked down at her plate. “Very scared of what to come." Cold or not she reached for the chow with her claw.

“When have I steered you wrong? Besides in my car. And don't pick those up, we're using forks, remember?"

A slight hiss escaped her scaly lips. A small dollop of beans fell out onto the plate as she squeezed a little too hard. “Okay, Lys has idea. Jack tells Lys what 'something' is and then she'll use fork."

Jack fidgeted in his chair for a moment and then stood up. “I need a smoke." Something like a growl emanated behind him as he headed for the door, he didn't look back.

The sound of the weathered front door closing came as a relief. He needed to put some distance between himself and Lys to figure out the 'something'. A few flicks of his lighter and the wide cigarette lit up, but not even that wonderful blend of Turkish and domestic tobacco could sooth him. Off in the distance a dark grey horizon loomed closer, heralding an inevitable storm. With any luck it would finally push the wretched humidity out for at least a few days. “Think Jack, think…" he muttered as he took a long drag. Bits of rust and paint crumbled in his hands while he leaned on the railing. The view from the second story might be nice if there were anything worth looking at.

The minutes passed and the coating of sweat on his face grew thicker. If his landlord found out he might charge him extra rent, but more likely he'd just toss his ass out. Seeing a kobold as a liability. Which is to say more of a liability than the drunks and smackheads that already lived here. Jack could care less of what his neighbors thought, but people with the power to toss him onto the street or cost him his job put him to the test. “'Something', damn it."

Move out? Change jobs? Become the champion of human kobold relations? He laughed as his mind explored outlandish scenarios, but there were no answers, no answers at all. Perhaps it would have been better if—

“Jack! What the hell? Are you alright?" A voice shouted from halfway down the steps.

He glanced over and saw a familiar looking woman about his age standing there with an icy glare on her face. The cigarette fell out of his mouth, hopefully it wouldn't set the complex on fire. “Allison, what are you doing here?" he asked

“Checking to make sure you weren't dangling from a rope in your closet." She stomped the rest of the way up the steps.

He rolled his eyes. “Thank you for the vote of confidence."

“I'm serious. You missed the monthly get-together, and then I didn't hear sweet fa back from you. I got worried."

“Oh, I missed that? What a shame."

“Ass. People care about you. I mean, they may have bad taste, but they do."

“Yeah, yeah." He looked away. “Aren't you supposed to be at work?"

“I'm on break which is why I came over to make sure you weren't dead. Three days of not responding to any of my texts, what was I supposed to think?" Her long, brown hair flowed about her shoulders, off-setting her blue shirt and jeans. Her piercing green eyes bored a hole into him.

Jack went for another cigarette. “Well, I almost wrecked my car three days ago," he said .

“'Almost wrecked'? Are you okay? Why didn't you say so?" She drew closer, looking him over like a mother hen.

“I'm fine, thanks. It was a long night. Look, there's nothing to worry about." He lit up and tried to focus on the cigarette, but he could feel that angry gaze pressing down on him. Allison wouldn't give up without an explanation. She meant well, but it was like having the sister he never wanted.

“You're a bad liar and you always have been. Why are you smoking outside? It's hotter than the devil's asshole out here." She went for the door. He sprang for her and grabbed her arm. “Huh?" She tugged away from him. “What in God's name has gotten into you?" A fleck of ash brushed against his face. He needed to think, he sucked at thinking as of late.

“No, I umm. It wouldn't be proper for me not to invite you in. I mean you did come all this way to make sure I wasn't dead." He stepped between her and the door.

“All the way over? It's a five-minute drive." Allison looked at him like she was mapping out an escape route just in case. He turned the door several times as sharp as he could, making every bit of noise possible and then he pushed it open. “Like I said! I really appreciate you coming over to check up on me!" He shouted. Lys looked at him, maw agape with half a burrito in her mouth. He scowled and then waved her off with one arm while pointing behind him with the other.

“Jack? What the hell are you doing? Move!" Allison pushed him.

Lys heard the other voice and dove under the table. “No not there! The couch!" He shouted.

“What?" Allison asked.

Lys scrabbled across the floor, food in her mouth like some kind of rat. He felt so guilty. She pushed herself under the couch as Allison pushed past him. “This isn't funny anymore Jack, what is wrong with you?" Allison stepped into the living room and took a few deep whiffs. “I don't smell any weed; you haven't started doing that crap again haven't you?"

“I haven't done that since college, come on Al. I'm tired as hell and I got pretty banged up when I tried to smash my car." He showed her the bruises, most of them came from the bathtub, but she'd have no way of knowing that.

“You go to the doctor?"

“No, wasn't that serious."

“You sure you didn't hit your head on the steering wheel?"

“Ha ha."

She took a seat on the couch. Jack winced at the thought of her sitting on Lys. “Still doesn't explain you not responding to any of the dozen texts I sent you. I was worried and the others missed you."

“Missed making me feel like crap, more like"

“Oh stop." She yanked her phone out of her pocket. “I sent you twelve messages; how could you miss them all?" Her fingers poked over the screen. Jack wanted nothing more than to make her disappear, making him feel even more guilty. He took a seat next to her while praying Lys wasn't underneath either of them.

“I've been busy."

“Busy doing what? Aren't you on vacation?"

“Yeah. I was busy recuperating."

“So busy recuperating you couldn't bother to say 'I'm ok' on your phone? Come on Jack, stop ly—is it just me or does this place actually look kind of, clean?" Allison gazed about the room and then got back up, inviting herself to a tour.

Jack, not one to let an opportunity go to waste said, “busy cleaning up."

She examined the sink, the fridge, and then the table before raising an eyebrow. “Alright, who is she?"

“W-who is who?" The couch shifted beneath him.

“I've known you for too long Jack. You wouldn't do this kind of cleaning beyond pain of death unless there was someone. And then there's the matter of two sets of dishes on the table. So, who is she?" A smile crept over her face. Jack felt his guilt rise even further as he wished for the power to will his best friend out of existence.

“Why does there have to be a 'she' for me to clean up?"

“Well, it isn't 'he' is it?"

“No! It was lunch, one time, alright."

“So, there is a 'she'." Brilliant.

“Yeah, there's a she, but not a 'she' she, just a friend she," he said with a huff. The cigarette in his mouth had gone out.

His high-school friend started laughing. “Right, a she-friend who can get you to clean up. Is 'she' here now? Hiding in your bedroom?"

“No. Don't you have a job to be at?" He stood up and motioned to the door.

She kept laughing. “You're right. I'm late as it is. Well, it's nice that you're seeing someone again after all this time." Allison started making her way to the door.

“We are not having this conversation again," he said with a deadly seriousness in his voice.

“Alright, alright. I came over to make sure you weren't dead."

“Thanks, mom."

She gave him the finger. “Can't wait to meet this person who can make the amazing Jack clean up his room." With that she closed the door.

“God…" He slumped against the wall, sliding to the floor in a heap. As if life weren't complicated enough. She meant well of course, but Allison was stubborn. She wouldn't be happy until she met Lys and then? He pushed it out of his head. A gentle rustling came from under the couch. Lys poked her head out and whipped back and forth before squeezing the rest of the way free.

“Is safe? Who was woman?" the kobold asked.

Jack rubbed his temples. “A friend." He let out a long sigh.

“Oh, Jack's mate?"

Some spittle caught in his throat at the question. He spent the next minute coughing. “What? No. God no, that would be like incest. She's an old friend of mine."

“Whatcest?" The kobold cocked her head.

“Don't worry about it. Anyway, she's not my mate. She came to check to make sure I wasn't dead." He couldn't roll his eyes back any further at that statement.

“Why would Jack be dead?" Lys walked over to him and gently placed a claw on his leg. A sense of warmth washed over his whole body. He had people who cared about him. A bossy friend from high school and a two-foot-eight lizard, but they cared about him. Of course, that was subject to change as soon as one found out about the other. With a hard push against the floor and a miserable grunt he stood up, ready to face the rest of the long day.

“What was friend talking about? 'she' she?"

“Can't we pretend you didn't hear any of that?" He rung his hands.

Her tail thwacked against the floor. “No."

The early tinges of a tension headache began to form behind his eyes and nose. The air pressure began to shift and the smell of distant rain drifted past. Jack flopped onto the couch and rubbed at his face.

Lys crawled up onto the couch next to him. “What else was friend talking about? Seeing someone and cleaning. Who is Jack seeing? What is Jack cleaning?"

“I'm not 'seeing' anyone. I cleaned up because I have a guest over. Isn't that what good hosts are supposed to do? Why do people think I can't clean my place up?" he asked to no one in particular. The sound of rushing leaves and swift winds announced the incoming storm. Even from where he was sitting, he could feel the moist air push through the cracks in the door.

The kobold developed a half-grin and prodded at Jack with her claw. “Lys is Jack's guest. So is Jack 'seeing' Lys?"

“Yeah, I see you. See you pestering me." Jack rubbed her scaly head causing her to giggle. She shoved his arm away and then dove at him, barreling into his chest. “Hey, watch the claws." He reached for a suitable weapon, a nearby pillow and bopped her one.

The kobold proved a quick study, snagging the other pillow off the couch and bashing him with it. The two went at it in an all-out brawl. Jack had to be mindful of his size and strength, she needed to be mindful of her claws both for his and the poor pillow's sake. The tension washed away amid their laughter. It felt so good to let the pressure of the day fall from their shoulders if just for a time.

And then the massive peal of thunder struck with a blinding flash.

“Lys? Where did you go?!"

Sheets of rain pounded against the roof drowning out every other sound. The heavy gale beat against the door and windows. The sound of water changed to hailstones; the hard crackling of ice strung his ears. “Lys? Sweetie, where at you?" It wasn't as if she'd bolted outside, but he worried all the same. He checked under the couch, nothing. The closet in the bedroom, nothing. He made a sweep of the bathroom and found her huddled in the far corner underneath the towels, clutching the pillow between her claws.

“Are you alright? One moment you were there…" he approached the trembling kobold. She hadn't looked this frightened even when he found her in the car.

“H-hate storms, always always always, hate hate hate!" She didn't even look at him, tumbling the pillow over and over in her claws. He despised seeing her suffer and the scene in front of him broke his heart.

“Sweetheart, it's just rain. This place may be crappy, but it's survived countless rainstorms." He sat down on the floor next to her offering his hand to her the way she'd done earlier. It took her a moment to realize she was being touched. Staring at his hand like it were a foreign object, following his arm up until she saw his concerned smile. Those tearful yellow eyes looked into his.

“Jack," she sobbed, diving into his arms. “Lys sorry she's coward. Always scared of rotten, loud, nasty storms." Jack embraced her in a warm hug and hoisted her up, gently rubbing her back.

“It's alright. Lots of people hate thunder. I used to be scared of it when I was younger."

“How did Jack stop being scared?" she asked, her voice half muffled, buried in his shoulder.

He made his way back to the living room with her. “I had friends and family to help me realize it wasn't so bad," he said.

“Lys is alone though."

“No, you aren't." He set her down on the couch and placed a hand under her chin, lifting her head to meet his gaze. “And I have one other thing that helped deal with rainstorms when I was younger."

The kobold relaxed at his touch, but her eyes still held fear. “What?"

“Old comedy movies. Let me get something up on the TV." Jack plunged his arm into the couch and a moment later he pulled out the remote, right where he left it.

Lys perked up. “Jack has TV?" Her tail started its familiar rhythm, sweeping against the couch cushions.

“Yeah, what did you think that big flat thing next to the stereo was?" He flicked it on and the TV presented a menu. He hoped he remembered to pay his subscription this month.

The kobold shrugged. “Only got to watch through people's windows when Lys was…with friends." Another thunderclap boomed overhead. The sound of hail subsided and the rain resumed. Jack turned about to see Lys trembling again. A reassuring pat on the head made her nod at him and he resumed scrolling through selections.

“What do you want to watch?"

“Don't know, Lys has never really seen anything."

“Err, right. Well, how about 'It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World'?"

Lys made an odd noise, something like a chitter.

“I'll take that as a yes."

Jack introduced her to classic comedy with the stylings of Buddy Hacket, Spencer Tracy, Ethel Merman, and countless cameos.

Of course, she didn't get every joke, but the visual humor resonated with her. Her laughter was infectious, almost musical in tone. Jack felt he'd made a success of things when another thunderboomer blasted overhead and Lys paid it almost no mind, almost. The sound made her scootch closer to Jack and she began leaning on him. He found himself involuntarily wrapping an arm around her.

The long film came to its intermission and without word or warning Lys crawled into his lap, draping herself over him. Her head rested on his shoulder and his chin on top of her head. His eyes wandered across her form; her green scales had a pleasant sheen to them. The sounds of her soft breathing and the sensation of her heartbeat set him on edge. The wretched voice of common sense tried to butt in, but quickly lost out to desire.

A small whimper escaped her scaly lips and she looked into his eyes anew. Jack kissed her softly once, and then again. “J-jack…" she stammered.

“Shh." He turned off the TV and kissed her again, savoring her scales against his lips. He pressed his tongue into her maw, gliding past her teeth. She tasted tangy, and a little like microwave burrito. Lys went wide-eyed for moment, but once again proved a quick study, moaning as she let him explore her mouth. She responded in kind. Her long, muscular tongue was no match for his and she explored every bit of his mouth in good measure. Her sharp teeth rubbed against his face, keeping Jack on edge as her hot breath stung his lips. A glint flashed across her eye.

“Mmf!" Her tongue began to coil around his like a snake coiling about its prey. She squeezed him in soft pulses. A sensation like nothing he'd ever felt before in his life. Jack's breaths became more ragged and his hands started to explore her. Running down her shirt and then lifting it up part way. Lys got the hint and broke away from his mouth, letting him tug off her shirt.

Jack kissed her again and felt her flat, scaly chest, it seemed every bit as taboo as the day he first saw her bare. Her chest and belly proved soft as he imagined. And that turquoise pattern continued down her lower belly, disappearing into her shorts. He imagined laying his head on her belly and planting a few kisses, perhaps in time.

Lys nuzzled under his neck while her claws explored his face, feeling his stubble and the warmth of his flesh. Jack startled for a moment when she began lapping at the underside of his chin. Every stroke of her slick tongue pushed him that much further towards the edge. The kobold clawed at his shirt, he reached for it but she bated his hands away, making it clear she wanted to undress him. The smallest of chuckles escaped his lips. She nicked him as she pried the shirt over his head, but such is life. Lys pressed her cheek against his chest, nuzzling all over him and getting in the occasional lick. She started thrumming and the vibrations of the sound made him burn.

Her claws moved south as she out another whimper, and his wandering hands went lower still. He ran his fingers along the edge of her shorts, dipping his fingers into the fabric. "What will happen to us?" she asked, her voice about to break. All at once he stopped and then he pulled her close to him. “God, I don't know sweetheart, I don't know."

“I don't want to—"

“I don't want you to," Jack said. He started rocking back and forth with her in his embrace. He still had no answer save one, corny as it may have sounded to anyone else in the world. Love, he had love and that would make the difference.