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“I am sorry,” she chuckled, his laugh infectious. “Let me help.” She used her shirt to dab at his face.

His rough voice growled something between laughs. She wasn’t sure what he said, but the way the tip of his tail tapped her arm, she got the sense he’d accepted her apology.

“Um, do you understand me?”

He nodded, using the recognizable gesture.

“Oh. Okay. Good.” She nodded, slightly surprised but also relieved. “I’m really sorry for, well, just about everything since you crashed.” Elena grimaced sheepishly as she thought about the way she attempted to rob his cruiser, nearly dashed his brains out, tied him up and violated his personal space. “I’d untie you but, um…” her voice faded out.

She didn’t know how to explain that he made her nervous. The way he wiped away her tear was sweet, and it was wonderful hearing someone laugh after so damn long. A giddy sensation made her heart leap at the potential for hearing him laugh again, but still she wasn’t quite sure about him. He could just be humoring her, to get her to let her guard down.

Again, his tail tapped her arm, then pointed to the contraption she’d removed from his arm.

“You want your computer, but I just don’t know.”

She nibbled her lip, uncertain if it was wise to give it to him. She’d have to untie his hands to use it, and she wasn’t ready to do that yet. Even if he could use his tail to work it, she still had no clue what the contraption was for.

“But I can get you a drink and I promise not to spill it on you this time,” she offered in consolation.

Payim quo Desero

“I’m Elena,” the little female said as she carefully gave him a drink from a new cup of water.

Her name was as delicate as she was, and the way she said it sounded so lyrical.

He nodded in appreciation when she pulled the cup away from his mouth and cleared his throat.

“Arayna,” he attempted.

“Yeah.” Her eyes brightened and she nodded, though he was certain he’d mispronounced it. “What’s your name?”

“Pa-ya-eem,” he slowly enunciated. “Payim,” he then repeated more fluidly as Elena watched his mouth.

“Ra-grim,” she growled, sounding very cute but utterly wrong.

He repressed a chuckle and nodded approvingly, the same way she had accepted his mispronunciation.

“I obviously mangled it.” Elena’s brow furrowed and she shook her head. “Sorry, I don’t think I can get my throat and tongue to make those sounds, but I can make something to eat.”

“Thank you.” He nodded appreciatively.

As she headed to the makeshift table on the other side of the cavern, he heard her mumbling. A smile tipped his lips as he realized she was trying to say his name. This would be so much easier if she’d let him use the translation program in his handheld, but the fact she was trying was a step in the right direction.

Curiously, he watched as Elena went to work. A part of him rebelled at the idea of taking any of her food, she needed every calorie she could get her hands on, but he wasn’t about to dishonor her by refusing.

We’ll get off this planet soon and you won’t go hungry ever again,he promised.

His brow furrowed in confusion as she went to the condensing chamber of the water recycler and opened the hatch of the compact chilling unit.

“Smart,” he murmured when she pulled out some sort of small butchered creature.

She’d ingeniously been using the mechanism meant to cool and condense water in the chamber above to also keep her food cold.

Elena proceeded to remove the tiny game’s bones, placing the refuse into a bowl. He cocked his head as she fetched some hot water from the boiling chamber of the recycler and poured it over the bones.

Of course, she’s making a broth with the bones,he mentally commented, further impressed. Elena had wisely learned to not waste any part of the animal.

She proceeded to grab some sort of tongs and pulled a piece of hot metal from the heating portion of the water recycler. She placed the game she’d deboned onto the hot plate and it sizzled, filling the air with a mouthwatering aroma. He hadn’t been hungry before but now he was suddenly ravenous.