“Strange place….” Awareness whispered in Ingrid’s ear. “I don’t know this place.”
Ingrid smiled quietly over her shoulder.
“Don’t worry, sweetie. It’s safe. You’ll remember it in a few minutes.”
She felt him shift slightly on her back. He was sometimes skittish, not quite certain of some places and environments. As he warmed up to a place, he would start to relax. Right now, his long tentacles were pulled in tightly between their two bodies, his skin cold next to hers. He seemed a bit hesitant to move too much but his wide eyes were moving quickly around the rooms as she entered into the house.
“Hi!” she called out loudly, sending her voice out before her to alert Bruce she was downstairs. Awareness clenched just a bit tighter at her back, flaring his nostrils. She could hear him breathing with slight pants as he started to register the smell of the unfamiliar house. His tongue danced along his lips once in a while and she felt his body warming ever so slightly as he continued to stare around.
Taking a left, Ingrid headed up the stairs to say hello to Bruce. She was looking forward to seeing him; it seemed like it had been a long day. She wondered briefly what they should do for dinner.
As she moved passed the sofa, she felt Awareness reach a long arm out and touch the blanket there. He warmed another degree on her back as he registered a familiar texture. She moved up the stairs and Awareness looked at the pictures with big empty eyes that said little. She felt his hand slide along the closet door when she passed it and then felt him tuck his cold hand back against her body.
Bruce smiled up as she came in his office, gave her a quick kiss and then moved to join her downstairs. Ingrid felt Awareness shift happily on her back, warming quickly at the sight of their familiar friend. She reached up to hug Bruce and felt Awareness reach, touching his skin as well. His tentacle wrapped around his arm, snuggling in closer, and squeezing just a tad. She smiled to herself. Awareness always delved when he felt comfortable.
Over the evening, Ingrid and Bruce enjoyed each other’s company and Awareness relaxed enough to climb down and explore. He remained within reach of Ingrid, returning quickly after touching a door or staring at a chair. His little body chilled easily in the space and his long arms moved stiffly under the load of hesitation. But he became more relaxed as the evening moved on. Ingrid kept an eye on him, checking to make sure he was alright. She was familiar with this process; they had done it several times over the last weeks. Awareness had to adjust to the new space each time but he was getting quicker at it. She could see that he recognized things around him quicker even though he remained shy of cabinets and corners. Knowing that helped her worry less about him over the course of the visit.
The next morning, Ingrid tucked Awareness and herself in her car and headed towards their side of town. Awareness stuck close to her as he always did when they were away. His body still had the slight chill that he kept away from home and she could feel his alertness darting around. The landscape passing the windows was familiar but still new to his eyes.
“We’re headed home again,” she said quietly to him and reached over to turn on the radio. The familiar voice of the radio announcer seemed to help Awareness calm down. He felt his small body warm up a degree and the tension left a bit of his muscles. He smiled over at her and ran his hand along the dash. His tentacles got longer as the muscles relaxed and she watched him sneak his fingers around the cracks of the door to the glove compartment. After a bit of time, he seemed happy that everything was there and he reached over to touch her hair. His hands had warmed up with the familiar environment and she knew reaching behind closed doors always helped him relax more.
Over the drive Awareness became warmer and chattier. He babbled in her ear about the church off the road to her right and then reminded her that they needed to visit the grocery store. His eyes became warmer, moving with familiarity over the traffic lights while his busy little fingers explored all the nooks and crannies he remembered.
Parking, Ingrid got her bag out of her car and grinned when Awareness scampered up her arm. He liked his ride inside the house. As soon as she opened the door, he was down and running. His little frame glowed with warmth and pleasure. He reached under the couch, found the box he knew was there and grinned up at her. She just laughed and returned to taking care of the unpacking.
Over the next couple hours, she could hear him in the house. Awareness loved to poke through closets for no reason other to know what was in there. He dug into the laundry basket and poked around under the sink. She heard him tapping on the water heater and turning the faucet on just to see the familiar force of the water. When he brushed passed her to reach into a cabinet, she laughed. Always the curious little bugger, he almost seemed to melt around the edges in the eagerness to remember what was in that dark space.
Ingrid pulled together her bag for work. Tucking lunch into the pocket she called softly to Awareness. She found him looking at the pictures on the wall. His eyes were full of memories and laughter when he looked up at her. Grinning, he climbed up to her shoulder to head off with her and she smiled herself as she slipped the key in the door. Awareness snuggled down; his long loose muscles draped quietly over her shoulders and down her back. They looped along her waist, warm and soft. His breath snuffled in her ear, no longer hyper aware of the smells because he knew these by heart. Together, they warmed each other on the walk to the bus.
