Viktor growled his frustration after he fell to his knees for the tenth time that morning.

"Remember, little champion, to -"

"I know!" he exploded, feeling his throat constrict with the force of his shout. He didn't get much louder than a quiet yell, but it cut the alien off nonetheless. "Use my arms for balance! I know how to walk."

"Of course, little lord," the alien murmured, helping Viktor to his feet with gentle claws. He resisted the urge to tear his arms out of their grasp, knowing they were only trying to do their job. It was just frustrating learning how to make his limbs move the way they were supposed to.

"I'm not a lord," he muttered, appalled. He gripped the walker - some terrible contraption that looked like it had been slapped together in an hour - with all his strength. His arms shook with the force of it.

"Our Majesty insisted. Now," the doctor said, stepping away from Viktor, "would you like to try again? You were very close this time."

Viktor, who had been nowhere near the finish line, sucked in a deep, rattling breath and nodded.

Yesterday had been the first day he had been allowed out of his bed. His vitals were, apparently, good enough for him to be free of all the drugs pumping into his system. It meant that there was a low thrum of pain around his neck, spine, and head now that the painkillers were filtering out of his system, but he was free to move.

Well, free to move if he could walk.

He had managed to swing his legs over the bed without any issue, but standing up had been a dizzying experience. If his dad hadn't been there, he would've crumpled to the ground in a heap. As it was, he had only gotten the hang of standing by the time night had fallen.

Today was all about walking. Standing had been a piece of cake compared to this.

The doctor suggested only walking a few paces. Putting one foot in front of the other was hard enough when his legs felt like Jello, but it was only made ten times worse by the sheer humiliation that Viktor felt. Being unable to do the simplest task of walking a few steps made him burn with shame.

"It's okay," Oskar reassured him from across the room. Viktor gritted his teeth. His dad always seemed to make the simplest of statements that much more irritating. It was probably just Viktor's bad mood, though. "You can do it, buddy."

"Easy for you to say," he rasped grouchily. He took another breath, feeling the air catch in his throat.

He fell three more times. Each time, the alien would step forward to help him up, and his dad would say some other encouraging line. When he managed to get across the room, he was drenched in sweat and his legs shook like leaves in a breeze, but his chest was full of pride.

"Take that, you stupid fucking legs," he gasped in exhaustion.

It got a little easier after that. He was determined to get back to his old self - he wouldn't let Nhafka and Turrkn take something as simple as walking away from him so easily; they had already taken enough - and he did everything in his power to do so. He did all the stretches and practicing that the doctor recommended, though he did have to modify some things (he did not have a tail to balance himself with, thank you).

He tried to take his friends' encouragement at face value. They really did love him, he knew that, but after he heard the hundredth "you can do it!" of the day, he thought he might go a little crazy.

Vok'Rul swung by, too, complete with Thruul's cooking. But the evil bastard wouldn't let him eat it until he crossed the room to get it.

"Come on," Viktor frowned up at him. "Are you really gonna make me? I've been walking all day!"

"Which is what you normally do," Vok'Rul snipped back. "Unless you want to eat cold, slimy stew, you can walk a few paces to get this right now." To emphasize his point, Vok'Rul waved the bowl around. The room smelled of meat and spice. Viktor's stomach growled. His body wasn't used to all the exercise. He was starving.

"You're evil," Viktor said, getting to his feet unsteadily. Vok'Rul radiated smugness. He was stupid.

The food tasted that much better when he was filled with righteous pride.

He couldn't walk unaided. Hell, he could barely walk with aid. Pedro had told him that it would probably take him months to go from this walker to a simple cane. Viktor had weakly thrown a pillow at him. It hadn't gone very far.

Viktor didn't have months to get better, though. They were set to go to Earth any day, now. He needed to get better now.

The best he could do was work with the walker. After three days of suffering, Vok'Rul cheerfully replaced the ugly one with something a bit more pristine and well-made. It was black and sleek. It came up to his waist, small bands protruding for his arms to rest on at his midriff. It was much, much easier to work with than the old one.

He could roam around his room, only needing to take a few breaks between steps. But now that he had his mobility back, limited as it may be, Viktor found himself restless. Especially at night.

It was hard for him to sleep. He always had nightmares, but they seemed to worsen after the whole kidnapping ordeal. He woke up often in the middle of the night, delirious, confused, and frightened. His unfamiliar surroundings only made it worse.

In the beginning, he had been exhausted enough to fall right back asleep with only the smallest amount of fear in him, but now that he was building up stamina and wasn't suffering the immediate effects that came with waking up from a month-long coma, Viktor found that he couldn't fall asleep as easily. In the morning, when Vok'Rul came to visit, he brought it up.

"Do you think," he croaked, clearing his throat with practiced irritation, "I can move back in with you?"

He hadn't dared bring this up around his dad. Oskar, although he loved his son, probably would've thrown a fit to rival Nohkka's tantrums. He really didn't like Vok'Rul. His dad was living in the mansion, as far as he knew, but moving from one unfamiliar room to another wouldn't solve his problem, even if he could be with his dad.

Vok'Rul paused in his retelling of the latest political happenings - this time, a Vokkrus had protested against the humans' sentience, in which a group of people had decided to protest against that by declaring the alien not sentient. The alien had brought it up against the council when they realized that most of the other Vokkrus were in agreement with the humans, refusing them services and goods. Vok'Rul hummed, hands hovering in the air around Viktor's shoulders. He had been determined to walk to the doorway and back to his bed with the aid of his walker, and the alien was ensuring he didn't fall.

"I would be happy to have you there," Vok'Rul started. Viktor was sensing a but and was proven correct in his suspicions when the alien continued with, "but I'm afraid it wouldn't be all that practical."

Viktor frowned at his feet, forcing his foot in front of the other and sliding the walker forward. "But I don't even take up that much space. I literally slept in your closet for like, two months."

Vok'Rul grimaced, shuffling forward an inch as Viktor progressed across the room. "Don't remind me," he grumbled regretfully. Before Viktor could huff and repeat that it wasn't his fault, the alien said, "My rooms are not suited for... your mobility aid. Not to mention, I do not have a place for you to sleep."

His rooms really weren't all that equipped for his walker, Viktor realized. The carpet was soft and plush and would likely prove difficult to move around in. The thought of staying in this room for one more night had Viktor desperate, though. "You can just carry me," he said beseechingly, even though he knew it'd get old fast. He liked being carried by the alien, but he also liked being able to walk on his own instead of relying on someone else. "And I can crash on the couch."

"Crash?" Vok'Rul's voice was worried. "I don't want you to crash, little one."

Despite himself, Viktor let out a breathy chuckle. He stopped his progress to the door, slow as it was, to catch his breath. "It's just an expression, don't worry." He worried his bottom lip between his teeth, shoulders tense. "I- I just don't like it in here all that much."

Vok'Rul hummed his acknowledgment. Viktor got all the way to the door and back onto his bed before the alien spoke up. "I will see what I can do, my little Kohgrash."

***

The door burst open with such force that the walls shook and trembled. Viktor's hands were already covering his head before he realized that it was just his dad. His expression was fierce, betrayed. He slowly dropped his hands back to his lap.

"What-" he started, hearing the air whistle out of his throat.

"What's all this about you moving in with that alien?" his dad cut him off with an angry frown. Viktor mirrored him.

"What do you mean?" Vok'Rul probably told Thruul, that big mouth. It was a wonder no one had found out about any state secrets.

"We were supposed to get out of this palace and stay at one of the shelters until it's time to go home. Why, for God's sake, do you want to stay here? It's caused you nothing but grief!"

Viktor closed his eyes briefly, wondering if he could fake being in a coma again so he could avoid these questions. "I don't want to stay at one of the shelters. This place is my home. I feel safe here."

"Then why," Oskar said, running one of his hands down the side of his face, "do you need to go back into his rooms? Can't you stay with me in mine?"

Viktor shook his head, scratching at the bandages around his neck, "It's- I don't know." It was hard to explain that all he wanted was to wake up in his own bed, pressed against the cool wood of Vok'Rul's dresser. "I wanna wake up in my own room, not in some," he gestured wildly, "freaky hospital."

Oskar frowned at him for a while. "Well," he said, with an air of finality. "You're not going."

He gaped at his dad. "Are you for real?"

His dad's expression hardened. "Very for real. I'm not going to let my son spend time with some freaky fucking alien, especially where I can't go. It's bad enough there's visiting hours, here! I can't even see my own son when I'd like to."

Viktor felt anger burning in his chest. He glared at his dad, angrily spitting out, "Don't talk about him that way. You don't know him."

"Don't talk to me that way!" his dad nearly shouted, throwing up his arms. Viktor flinched back into his bed, and his dad immediately dropped his arms, looking guilty. "I just don't want you to get hurt anymore."

"He would never hurt me," Viktor hissed, breathing harshly. His hands shook against his legs. "I think you should leave."

He felt sick. All this time away from his dad, suddenly thrust into a scary, new world, had made him miss the man terribly. He had missed his gentle touches, his caring attitude, and his reasonable rationale. But now, now that he was faced with him again, Viktor couldn't help but feel bitter.

He wanted his dad, not whoever this scared, angry person was.

"No!" Oskar shouted. "I haven't been with you for over a year because of these aliens. We were kidnapped from our planet, Viktor, because of these aliens."

"Go away," Viktor yelled. His voice, quiet and shaky, was drowned out by his father.

"These aliens locked us both up in cages, and you're just- just okay with that?"

"Of course I'm not!" he screamed. His throat burned. "But Vok'Rul wasn't the one who did it!"

"Little lord?" the doctor came in, looking concerned. The scene they stumbled on must have been alarming, because their eyes widened almost comically. They took two large steps forward, face twisting into a protective snarl. Their hand gripped his dad's shoulder, wrenching him away from the bed. "What is going on, here? Is your sire bothering you?"

"Mind your business, alien," his dad snapped, twisting his shoulder out of the alien's grip. Their claws remained steadfast, however, only tightening around him.

"Lord Kohgrash is under my protection, and I will defend him, even if he is your spawn."

His father exploded, "His name is not Kohgrash! Calling him that is insulting. He is not some- some 'unexpected champion' for your stupid race!"

Viktor, who had no earthly idea what Kohgrash actually meant in the Vokkrus language, snapped, "My name is not an insult, Dad. It's just my name. Calm down."

"Calm? I'm calm!" his dad shouted, not calmly.

"What is happening?" Vok'Rul said frostily, stepping into the room. Jewelry lined his figure, only halfway finished with putting it all on. His face was solemn, nearly expressionless. His eyes were flinty.

The doctor gave a half-bow, unwilling to let go of his dad. "Your Majesty, I-"

"You! You're trying to take my son away from me!" his dad yelled, pointing at Vok'Rul accusingly. His voice wavered, and Viktor realized he must be terrified. His heart twisted.

Oskar had been stuck in a zoo for over a year. He got one glimpse of Viktor before he had run off to risk his life for Vok'Rul. Then, he came back, only for him to have a panic attack in the middle of their meeting. The last thing he had heard from Viktor was him calling for his dad, carted away by Vok'Rul. Then, weeks later, he finds his son in a coma.

"I am doing no such thing," Vok'Rul sounded insulted at the thought. "Kohgrash is free to do whatever he wishes. He is my friend." He twisted his hand, and the doctor let go of Oskar, giving the other alien a respectful bow before retreating from the room. "What quarrel do you have with me, sire of Kohgrash?"

Vok'Rul stepped into the room, stalking forward like a predator. The jewelry clinked against each other, making a twinkling noise. It sounded ominous in the muted room. To his credit, his dad stood his ground.

"Guys," Viktor rasped, annoyed at the posturing. "Please. You both want what's best for me."

"He doesn't," they said at the same time before glowering at each other. Viktor would've laughed if he wasn't so annoyed.

"I am going to stay with Vok'Rul, Dad. Even if it means staying put in this room or going back to my old room. I feel safe there. I don't - I won't feel safe anywhere else," Viktor explained, trying to muster up every ounce of patience. At least his dad was listening to him. He took a breath, feeling his throat starting to protest against his speaking. "He's not going to lock me away. He won't hurt me."

Oskar looked like he had eaten a lemon. He looked at Vok'Rul for a long while, before his shoulders loosened. Viktor felt a tremor of triumph race through him. "Fine," he said reluctantly. "But I want to see where you'll be staying."

"Field trip?" Viktor asked, looking at Vok'Rul. The alien looked just as reluctant as his dad, but it morphed into confusion.

"What is a field trip?"

***

Vok'Rul had to attend to whatever kingly duties he needed to - he was already running late - but promised the pair that he'd be back to show Oskar his rooms. He looked unhappy about it, though.

Viktor convinced his dad to take him out of the little room, claiming that he'd go crazy if he didn't see something new. A strange look crossed Oskar's face, and he quickly agreed, helping Viktor to his feet.

The hallways were barren. It gave Viktor the room to walk at his own pace, which was a little faster than normal with his dad's help. Viktor directed them to the closest door outside, breathing in the fresh air. They didn't go far into the gardens. Viktor trembled with exhaustion.

"It's very pretty here," his dad offered after the silence grew too thick and awkward. Viktor hummed.

"It's almost winter," he said, shivering against the slight chill in the air. "There's usually more flowers around."

"Almost your birthday," Oskar said, slinging his arm around Viktor and tucking him under his arm. Despite the irritation the man caused him, Viktor snuggled into his dad, taking up all his warmth.

"Maybe it's already passed." It wouldn't surprise him. His last birthday had passed between a blur of fights and painful wounds. Oskar murmured something under his breath that Viktor didn't care to listen to.

"I'm sorry, kid," he said after they watched the scenery for a while longer. "I'm just... scared. I don't want to lose you again."

Viktor nodded slowly. "I know." Feeling powerless was the worst feeling in the world. "But Vok'Rul doesn't deserve your anger. He's trying his best. He took care of me when you weren't able to, y'know?"

His dad didn't say anything. Viktor let out a little sigh, sucking in a large breath of air. The yellow sky loomed above them.

"Give him a chance, Dad. He took a bite from that snake creature for me. He was in the hospital for weeks." Maybe it was an exaggeration, but he felt it was a necessary one. Oskar's silence went from judgmental to reluctantly thoughtful.

"I'll try," he said and that was all Viktor could hope for.

***

Vok'Rul's rooms were just as he remembered them. Sure, his body had been away from them for a month, now, but his memory told him he had been in them just a week and a half ago. There were only a few changes.

Like the fact that there were about seven new aliens tinkering on the stairwell.

Half-forgetting that everyone knew humans were sentient, now, Viktor stiffened in Vok'Rul's arms - who had insisted on carrying him from his new room, which he was grateful for even if his dad had looked uncomfortable. It had been a long trip - and asked defensively, "Who are they?"

One of them straightened up, and Viktor realized it was Blacksmith. "Little Lord Kohgrash! Rul! How nice to see you. We aren't quite finished, yet. We were expecting you back later," she said to Vok'Rul, dipping at the waist slightly.

"It is of no consequence, my friend," he responded kindly. "Trosk, this is Oskar, sire of Kohgrash. Oskar, this is Trosk. She is the one who made the translators. Wonderful creations, truly! Kohgrash and I were finally able to communicate after months of working on the first prototype."

"Nice to meet you," his dad said a bit stiffly.

"Are you taking out the staircase?" Viktor said a bit too hopefully.

"It is a perfectly fine staircase," Vok'Rul rumbled under his breath. He walked over to the fridge, swiping through the screen with his hand after setting Viktor's walker on the floor. Viktor kept his eyes on Blacksmith and the other aliens, who were still diligently working on the steps. He couldn't really see what they were doing. Something wet pressed on the side of his face and he recoiled in disgust.

"Ew! What the - oh," Viktor grabbed the slice of starfruit from Vok'Rul's claws, ignoring the alien's mirth.

"Eat," the alien said, going back over to inspect the staircase. Oskar was rooted to the spot in the doorway, warily watching all the aliens.

"Don't gotta tell me twice," he croaked around the bite of fruit in his mouth, relishing in the flavor. He loved fruit.

"I requested Trosk to make an elevator for you, attached to the side of the staircase," Vok'Rul explained, leaning in. Viktor pressed against him, eyeing the other aliens warily. Vok'Rul quickly stepped away. "That way, you can go up and down the stairs without needing assistance!"

He sounded proud. Viktor smiled at him. "Like a chair lift. For old people." The alien got the same wide-eyed look he always got when Viktor said something confusing. "Nevermind. This will work great!"

"What will it cost?" Oskar piped up, arms crossed over his chest. Vok'Rul tilted his head.

"Oh! Kohgrash must get that from you, then. No, sire of Kohgrash, there is no need for you to pay. It is a gift."

"Let's go upstairs," Viktor insisted, tapping the alien's arm. "Do you still have my drawing?"

"Of course," he sounded offended. "Why would I not have it?" Viktor shrugged. "Sire of Kohgrash, do you need help up the stairs?"

Oskar looked like the thought of Vok'Rul helping him, let alone touching him, would kill him. "No," he said shortly. Together, the three of them made their way upstairs.

"He is much better at the stairs than you, my little Kohgrash," Vok'Rul said with amusement. He set the walker on the ground, moving it forward with his foot. He looked skeptical.

"Shut the hell up, man," Viktor grumbled. They watched the walker roll forward just a little bit before it caught on the carpet and stopped. "It's not... a dealbreaker." Vok'Rul hummed.

"This is where you live? Like live live?" his dad said from behind the pair, looking around the modest interior.

"Vok'Rul doesn't like all the fancy schmancy stuff," Viktor explained. He heard Vok'Rul repeat the word 'schmancy' under his breath.

Vok'Rul gave Oskar a little tour around the place. It was interesting to witness, Viktor thought. He had never been given a tour. He had just explored when Vok'Rul hadn't been around those first few days. His dad was a little disgusted upon seeing Viktor's 'bed,' but Viktor had never been happier to see the stupid thing.

He might have teared up a little, actually.

Vok'Rul presented his drawing with a flourish, and Viktor cheered at the sight of his god-awful Earth.

"You'll see the real thing soon, and you'll be blown away," he promised. Viktor had to admit that he'd probably be blown away, too. Seeing Earth from Outer Space in real life was definitely going to be better than seeing it in pictures.

"I am sure that your drawing does it justice," Vok'Rul consoled him. He handed the picture to his dad, who looked at it appraisingly.

"Nice work, Vik," he said. Viktor grinned down at him from Vok'Rul's arms.

"Stop, you're just saying that," he said sheepishly. His drawing wasn't the best. It was made from alien crayons, for God's sake!

"No, no," his dad defended himself, squinting at the paper in exaggeration. "It's a very nice... blue... ball!"

"Shut up," Viktor complained good-naturedly. It was nice to joke with him again. The three of them shared smiles, and Viktor felt hopeful that this wouldn't end so badly after all.

***

As soon as Viktor could hobble around with the walker without constant supervision required, they moved him back into Vok'Rul's rooms, much to his relief. His dad had moved closer to their wing, intent on spending as much time with Viktor as possible. Now that Viktor was free to roam around, he was determined to show his dad that this planet was just as nice as Earth. It helped that Vok'Rul was in on his idea, too.

Vok'Rul had put all of the snow globes, clothing, puzzles, and everything he had bought for Viktor in the office. Some things were still in the bags they had come with.

"I didn't want to touch anything," Vok'Rul admitted in a quiet murmur. His voice sounded uncharacteristically vulnerable. Viktor patted his arm consolingly.

His dad watched with reluctant curiosity as Viktor pulled out several of his favorite snow globes. He had shattered the one where the trees fall down and snap back into place, much to his despair. Still, he had several that were cool to show him.

"How do these even work?" Oskar asked, fascinated. He shook the globe - this one had a cheeping Glouglossus that peeked out of a rock. Viktor didn't have any memory of picking that one up - and watched it with interest.

Viktor shrugged, "I've got no idea. Did you know their cars float? Like, they're hovering!"

His dad stretched, looking uncomfortable on the floor. Viktor watched him for a moment, taking him in. Oskar hunched back over the globe, sitting cross-legged on the floor. He rolled it around in his hands, trying to look into the mechanism inside. Viktor was sure that if he had a hammer, it'd be broken by now.

Vok'Rul muttered something under his breath at the desk, thumping his claws against the wood in a familiar pattern. Viktor twisted around to look at him questionably. "Oh, don't mind me, Kohgrash. Just trying to figure out this ship."

"What's to figure out?" he asked slowly, unsteadily getting to his feet. His dad abandoned the snow globe in order to help him out, grabbing his forearms. He clutched onto his walker tightly, pushing it over to the alien. His dad was a step behind him.

Vok'Rul looked at him for a second, before he sighed, moving some papers over to him. Viktor couldn't really see them with the height of the desk, not to mention read them, but he appreciated the thought. "Who is all going to go," the alien continued, looking miserably at the papers. "Off-planet travel is highly coveted by many of the Vokkrus. And to a planet whose inhabitants we have been keeping as pets. It will be a miracle if we can get off the ground without Vokkrus latching onto the outside of the ship." His voice was thinly amused, as if he fully expected his species to do just that.

"There's also the matter of keeping the number of Vokkrus to a reasonable level. If we show up to your Earth with hundreds of Vokkrus, it will likely not end well," he murmured, dragging the papers back over to him.

"Uhh," Viktor said, suddenly remembering that he was a human being and they didn't take too kindly to threats, same species or otherwise. If their ship rolled into the atmosphere unannounced, friendly or not, it wouldn't end well for anyone. "This might be a bad time to tell you about nuclear weapons."

Vok'Rul's head thumped onto the wooden desk after Viktor explained with some help from Oskar, and he didn't move for a long time. It was a wonder there wasn't a Vok'Rul-shaped dent in the wood.

"Cheer up," Viktor rasped, shaking his arm weakly. The alien shifted, peering at Viktor with one eye. "Now you have the perfect excuse to limit who's going."

Vok'Rul groaned, like it didn't cheer him up at all. Rude.

Oskar was the one who suggested buying tickets, confused by the concept of a free ride. Viktor honestly didn't have a clue how the economy worked here, only vaguely knowing that they used some sort of currency. His dad suggested that Vokkrus could 'earn' their ticket by donating supplies necessary for supplying a ship of that size. Vok'Rul looked pleased with the idea, immediately calling Rukka to finalize the details. Nohkka was nearby, though, and heard every word.

"I wanna go to space!" Nohkka complained loudly. Rukka had to explain why she probably couldn't go, leading to a very loud, very long tantrum. Vok'Rul held the phone away from him, even though it didn't help much. Viktor grinned at his dad, who looked reminiscent despite the hatchling's yelling.

"I remember when you were like that," Oskar said, slinging an arm over Viktor's shoulders carefully. "Now, you're just a moody teenager."

"You're annoying," Viktor said in a raspy voice. His throat whistled as he took a breath. "You-"

"'I wanna go to space, Daddy!' That's all you said when you were in that little astronaut phase, remember? You were so cute, all dressed up in that space suit," Oskar kept talking like he didn't even hear Viktor. He could feel his face turning red.

"Dad," he wheezed, pushing the man away from him.

"What? All embarrassed because of your old man?" Oskar feigned hurt, splaying his fingers over his heart. Viktor rolled his eyes.

"Yes," he stressed. He wobbled dangerously, fingers curling around his walker even as his stomach swooped with fear of falling. "Stop leaning on me."

"And now you don't even wanna hug me! The horror," he wailed, throwing his head back dramatically. Oskar backed off Viktor, though, steadying him with a firm grip on his elbow. "I've missed you," he said, quietly in a whisper. "I'm glad you're alive, and I'm glad you're safe. Even if that means trusting an alien." He looked up at Vok'Rul, who was trying not to eavesdrop on their conversation.

Viktor dropped his head on Oskar's shoulder. "We'll be home soon," he reassured confidently. "Things won't go back to normal," not with the proof aliens existed, the fact that he had massive amounts of trauma under his belt, and a load of other things, "but I don't think it's a bad thing."

His dad hummed, and they fell silent, idly listening to Vok'Rul and Rukka plan the ship back home. A lot of things were different, now, Viktor realized. He couldn't walk on his own now, but he had his dad back. He still butchered Spanish, but he could speak with an alien race instead. Things changed, and sometimes, they were horrifically terrible. The ache in his body, low and dull, could attest to that. Watching his dad interact, even stilted, with his friend was strange but not entirely unwelcome.

Viktor knew he could push through it, though. He had surrounded himself with people who would take care of him, and he loved them for it.