Nerion's hands tightened in the sheets, the small movement barely noticeable—but Juniper caught it. His gills fluttered faintly, a sign of discomfort or fear, Juniper wasn't sure.
"…They won't stop," Nerion said quietly. "Not until everything is taken.., our place doesn't have much defensive ability and the interaction with other alliances is limited. " His gaze shifted, unfocused. "My people always believed the seas would shield us. But even the deepest tides can't stop outsiders greed."
Juniper felt his stomach twist. Something about Nerion's voice—gentle, melodic, but hollow at the edges—made the room feel colder.
"We won't let anything happen to you," he said, stepping a little closer. "You're safe here. And… if your people survived, we'll help find out."
Nerion blinked slowly, as if processing the words. "Your kindness is strange," he murmured. He hesitated. "But dangerous too. You promise safety so easily to someone you just met."
Juniper's ears flattened slightly. "I'm not promising what I can't do… just that we'll try to help"
Demetrius stepped forward, his voice steady. "Nerion, no one here will force you to share anything more today. You've given us enough to start understanding your situation. For now, focus on recovering."
Nerion nodded once, but his eyes remained troubled.
"We'll need to run some scans later. Not on you—on the energy residue that came with your arrival. Our goal is to understand, not to exploit."
Nerion's eyes softened slightly, the tension in his shoulders easing. "Then… I will trust you. For now."
Juniper exhaled in relief.
Demetrius nodded once to the attending medical staff. "I will return later. Make sure he's comfortable."
As they stepped out of the room, the door sealing behind them, Juniper glanced back one last time. Nerion was staring out the window again, the glow of his scales faint under the cool light—looking upright but lonely, and terribly far from home.
Demetrius walked ahead, boots clicking sharply against the floor. "I need to notify higher ups, this could escalate far beyond one displaced merfolk if what Nerion has mentioned so far."
Juniper nodded, his mind racing. "Do… do you think his people are still alive?"
Demetrius didn't answer immediately. "We'll find out," he said at last. "But first, we protect what's here, if their planet has no ties to any alliances their planet will be at risk for further invaders"
Juniper swallowed and followed him, heart heavy.
Demetrius slowed, placing a hand on his head and gently stroking his soft hair and ears. "Don't overthink it. Leave the rest to us. Diplomacy and jurisdiction need to go through proper channels." His tone softened. "If you can befriend him, help him feel safe here, that's all I'm asking of you."
Juniper nodded, eyes lowering. "I can do that."
"Good." Demetrius straightened again. "I'll be staying here for a while for further investigations."
Juniper offered a faint smile. "Then… I'll head back."
A faint glint of amusement reached Demetrius's eyes "Go on. Someone is probably waiting outside."
Juniper blinked. "… Who's waiting?"
Demetrius didn't clarify—just turned away, already speaking to the nearby officers.
Juniper stepped out of the building, the door sliding shut behind him.
And there, leaning casually against the wall with sunglasses pushed into his hair, was Daiju.
"Yo," Daiju said, lifting a hand. "Rough morning?"
Juniper let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. "You could say that."
Daiju's eyes softened the moment he got a proper look at Juniper's expression. "Yeah… Demetrius messaged me. Said you might need a 'change of scenery before you start brooding like a sad houseplant.' His words, not mine."
Juniper's ears twitched. "That… doesnt sound like him."
Daiju grinned and lightly flicked one of Juniper's ears. "Anyway, c'mon. We've got an ad shoot in a few days so let me take you away early and we can have some fun."
Juniper blinked up at him. "Fun…?"
Daiju raised a brow. "Yes, Juniper. Fun. That thing you forgot about after Demetrius dumped some cosmic-level drama on your lap."
Juniper puffed his cheeks slightly. "He didn't dump anything. It's just… important."
"And you're important," Daiju countered without missing a beat. "So I'm stealing you. Come on."
Before Juniper could reply, Daiju hooked an arm gently around his waist and carried him toward the parking lot.
"Daiju— this is kidnapping."
"Yeah," Daiju said cheerfully. "But the legal kind."
"That's not how legality works."
"It works how I say it works," Daiju declared.
Juniper made a helpless sound somewhere between a sigh and a tiny defeated squeak, which only made Daiju smile wider.
Juniper let himself slide into the seat with a faint, reluctant smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. The heavy knot in his chest from the hospital hadn't vanished, but the pressure eased a little.
Daiju hopped into the driver's side and started the car. "We're headed straight to the airport, I already had stuff packed in advance so no need to go home first."
Juniper blinked. "Already packed? Since when?"
"Since Demetrius messaged me in the morning, he mentioned you may feel a bit overwhelmed or needed some cheering up."
Juniper ''But I haven't..''
Daiju reached over and flicked Juniper's forehead. "Relax. Demetrius told Gio. Gio told Yong-jin. Everyone is three steps ahead of you, just feel at ease okay?"