3 Chapter 3: In My Eyes, You Will Always Be.

"Sol... Sol! Open your eyes! Are you hurt? Sh-should I get some teardrops? Ah I mean eyedrops... Darn..." I heard Aries' frantic voice from in front of me.

It felt like a lie. Losing him to my own creation. If... If he was a mere illusion, I just want to see him looking at me again.

I pried my eyes open, blinking slowly as the tears slid down my cheeks. I probably looked like a mess but I had to see Aries again. Why did I let him go through with it?

However, the usual calm expression filled with hidden emotions was obvious to see. And the... presence of those... fluffy... cuddly....

I immediately reached out towards Aries to touch him but faltered when I thought of how he may disappear if I were to just touch him. I lowered my hands and sat on my knees as I glanced into those blue eyes.

Man... I'm going to miss him so much.

I didn't bother to swipe away the tears as I stared at the man before me. The soft sobs turned into full grown man wailing as I felt my nose grow too stuffy to breathe and my throat parched from the lack of water intake.

It is just weird that I would imagine Aries wearing those fluffy ears and tail. What is this hidden fetish that I had just uncovered? I wish I didn't know of it. Especially not now when the illusion before me may disappear if I were to even do so much as blink.

"S-Sol... why are you crying? Did you hurt yourself anywhere?" Aries asked again, this time his hand touched my tear stained cheek.

My eyes widened as my voice got caught in my throat. His hands... were... WARM?!

I grabbed his hands and held them against my cheeks to ensure I wasn't dreaming. Then I slapped myself so hard across the cheek that there was an echo in the living room.

Aries stared at me blankly before pouncing to action, grabbing me when I was about to jump from the table.

It's not a dream... Nor an illusion... Aries is...

"What are you doing?!" Aries exclaimed in a panic induced confusion, holding onto my waist as he tried to stop me from doing anymore idiotic antics.

"You... you're alive!" I said as I wrapped my arms around him.

A reciprocated warm embrace. A ticklish warm breath on my neck. The faint smell of smoke from my smoky lab... It's Aries....

"I am... Now... Care to explain why the room looks so tidy? What happened in the few minutes that I passed out? Hmm? Where's the lab coat you always have on?"

"... It wasn't... a few minutes..."

"What?"

"It's been... nearly 5 days..."

"WHAT?! W-why didn't you wake me? My flight to the US... Agh! It's too late now! Ahhh!" Aries panicked as he ruffled his hair in frustration before turning to look at me with a bewildered look on his face.

"T-this... What did you... What did you put on my head? It... it's like it's attached... Also... what is that... sound...? like something hard hitting against..."

"..."

"... ?!"

"..."

"What is this?" Aries looked at me with panic written on his face as he held onto the thumping tail that had been wagging with excitement. His face drained in colour as his complexion matched the time he was d-...

"I don't know but... It doesn't matter to me."

"What?! Obviously not! I'm the one who has to live with i—" Aries' words cut short when I ran towards him and embraced him in a tight grip.

All I remembered after that embarrassing breakdown was a gentle patting on the small of my back, moving in circular motions as another hand comforted me by patting my head.

***

"Have you calmed down?" Aries asked me as he handed me a cup of warm milk.

"... Yes." I mumbled, looking away from him as I was so embarrassed. The thought of digging a hole and staying in it repeated in my mind as I took a few sip of the warm milk.

"But still... To think I'd get to witness Sol bawling his eyes out like a little baby. That is going into my history book of Sol's embarrassing moments." Aries said light-heartedly as he grinned at me from across my seat.

I furrowed my brows in agony before studying his face. His handsome features remained the same. Yet, there was but a few new additions...

He had some... No... quite a growth spurt of hair... Especially on his fine chest... It's not too bad though... He also has some super eye catching pointy ears and a huge fluffy tail. If I were to say anything... The experiment might have worked. Might... Maybe?

"Do you... feel different anywhere else?" I asked as I leaned from my seat to inspect Aries' face.

"My heart has been beating so strongly since that moment you wrapped me in such a ferocious embrace. I thought I had encountered a grizzly bear." Aries teased as he ruffled my hair and grinned slyly at me.

"P-please don't joke around when I'm being serious! ... I was... very scared..." I exclaimed before eating my words by mumbling.

"Hmm? What was that? I didn't quite catch that." Aries pestered as he leaned in towards me and headbutted my forehead.

"Tsk. As if I'll repeat it again." I grumbled as I turned to look away from him.

"I... I was so scared I lost you... Aries... You've been a great friend... I... I'm sorry I never listened to all your advice! Sobs... I'll listen to you from now on... Don't leave me alone..."

"Wha--" I said as I turned to look at Aries who just grinned mischievously at me.

"I... I was so scared I lost you... Aries... You've been a great friend... I... I'm sorry I never listened to all your advice! Sobs... I'll listen to you from now on... Don't leave me alone..." the voice repeated again as I furrowed my brows and placed the cup down, heading straight for Aries.

"Wh-when did you record that?!" I demanded, grabbing him by his shirt collar as my face flushed a bright red.

"Hmm? I wonder? Anyways... Don't forget to listen to what I told you. And... I'll always be there for you. We're best friends aren't we?" Aries said, turning the mood from a frivolous one to a serious one.

I softened my facial expression as I solemnly nodded. Aries had always been right. His insight was more accurate than anyone else I knew of. If there was someone to trust, it'd be him.

"We are... So... I'll listen to you. I'll... stop my research..." I said as I leaned my head against his.

"Yes... ... wait what did you say?" Aries asked as he glanced upwards towards me with a baffled expression.

"I said I'd stop experimenting."

"W-why?! Didn't you say it was your life's work? You said you'd rather die than give it up." Aries exclaimed as he held onto my shoulders, a confused yet frantic tone in his voice.

"If my research only brings pain and suffering... I need to stop it. I... don't want it to cost you your life. I'm... scared. Losing you once was enough." I said as I placed my trembling hand onto Aries' firm arms.

"..."

We both shared a moment of silence before Aries wrapped me in an embrace.

"Wha—"

"Ahhh! You're such an idiot sometimes. If anything. Your research is far from causing pain and suffering. How is researching communicating with animals a dangerous subject?!" Aries asked as he patted my back.

"But..."

"No buts. I know how determined you were to find a solution. Whatever the obstacle..."

"We'll get through it together... Thank you... Aries..." I finished his sentence as I wrapped my arms around him as well.

"No problem..."

"For staying alive." I whispered before breaking out of his embrace and inspecting his pointy ears.

"Hahaha! That tickles!" Aries laughed as I stroked the ears on his head.

"Eh.... Huh... there's... another pair..." I gasped as I caressed his human ears making him groan in frustration.

"What are you—"

"Y-you feel it here too?!"

"Y-yes.... Hnn.... stop... stroking it that way... it's making me feel weird." Aries said as he glanced at me, his cheeks a little flushed and his eyes which held mine sent tingly sensations to my chest with his warm gaze.

"What? Does it feel good here? How about this?" I asked with a mischievous grin, stroking both his human ear and his pointy one.

What I didn't expect was for Aries to be clinging onto my sleeve begging me to stop. It even made me feel hyper conscious, almost as if we were doing something wrong.

"O-okay... I'll stop. S-so... it appears you have sensations in both auditory systems. I will assume you have sensations on your tail as well... May I?" I asked as I gazed longingly at Aries.

A tail. A fluffy... bushy... cuddly... TAIL! Who wouldn't want to touch it?! I kept eyeing it until Aries finally grunted an affirmative tone.

I internally squealed as I got down onto my knees and readied my hand to touch the bushy, cuddly and fluffy tail. Oh my gosh I can't hold it in... I want to rub it against my face... but that is kind of crazy so I'd better rein it in...

I reached out to touch it, making sure to take off my gloves as I relished in the soft touch of his bushy tail. It made me go to heaven momentarily as I snapped back to reality and noticed the disappointed look in Aries' eyes.

"W-what is with that look?!" I asked him, flailing my index finger at him as I tried to justify myself.

"It's nothing. Just... continue. I'll... look away so you can... do what you want." Aries said as his voice trailed off.

Do as I want... does he really think I have no ounce of self cont—

My eyes met the bushy tail which had begun to slowly wag. I glanced at his face, but obviously, since he was facing away from me I wouldn't be able to see his expression.

"I'm... going to touch it now." I said as I stared at the tail beginning to wag a little stronger.

I stifled a laugh before pushing my luck.

"I'm really~ going to stroke it so gently and tenderly." I said slightly louder, watching the tail beginning to wag a little harder. I felt like I was to burst into laughter and held onto my stomach as I imagined the kind of face Aries had on at the moment.

"I'm... hah... really... hah... hah... going to.... caress it so gently and rub my face on it." I said while breathing heavily. Just as expected, the wagging got so extreme I could almost imagine Aries taking off like a helicopter with his tail being the propeller.

"Can you just get to it already!" Aries replied, flustered as he turned back to face forward after turning to see me rolling on the floor grasping at my stomach.

"I... hah... Will... don't... hah... be so... hahhh... angry." I gasped as I pulled Aries to sit back onto the dining chair, reining in the laughter that threatened to leak out.

This time I held in my laughter and inspected the tail. It connected directly at the tailbone. I harummphed and gently followed the trail from the spine till the tail bone.

"Ah?!"

"..." I turned to face Aries, locking eyes with him before he panickly turned away again.

So he is sensitive here...

I stroked it again and again, observing Aries' expression until he grabbed my head firmly with one hand and squeezed my cheeks to get me to stop fooling around.

"S-sorry." I replied as I turned to face him.

"Stop doing... idiotic things. You need these information for your research." Aries said as his eyes were clouded and hazy with cheeks a rosy pink.

"Did... did I turn you on?" I asked as my own cheeks flushed red.

"... Idiot. Go away." Aries said as his ears folded backwards and his tail curled inwards.

"... Sorry. Don't be mad. I will stop fooling around." I apologised and hugged Aries to prove my sincerity.

"Okay." Aries nodded as he pulled me to sit on his lap as we tightened our embrace.

"..."

"Why do you have a hard—"

"Don't even mention it. Let me just let go of you and we can pretend this didn't happen."

"Okay." I replied as I got off of his lap.

I turned away but got lost in my thoughts for awhile before turning back to face him.

"Aries. I... For me... you are Aries... no matter what you look like. I'll always know you have my back. That's what best friends are for right?"

"... Right. Anyways... can you uh..."

"Ye-yes! You can head to the bathroom first!"

"Okay. No need to shout it out to the world!" Aries panicked as he headed out of the room.

I gazed at my hands that felt like I had been doing naughty things to him and shook my head, clearing away those wicked thoughts. Instead, I sat down at my lab table and whipped out the good ol' notebook, writing down everything that had transpired.

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