The day went along surprisingly smoothly. In fact, it was so uneventful that Serix wasn’t really sure what to think about it. The humans were more pleasant than usual, either keeping their disdain to themselves or openly talking to him without prejudice. He wondered if the sudden change in their attitudes had anything to do with his fight with Ryan. He wouldn’t have been surprised if the humans who still hated him were just keeping their distance after they had seen his reaction to their leader’s taunts and insults. Well, whatever the case, he was enjoying the newfound respect they seemed to have for him.

There was only one thing that kept him alert on that peaceful day: Hunter. The human had been avoiding him like many of the others, but there was still something about his behavior that made Serix feel the urge to keep him in his sight at all times. Whenever he didn’t know where Hunter was, he always found himself glancing about the room until he reappeared. Part of him felt foolish for being so worried since Hunter wasn’t openly causing any trouble, but he still refused to let his guard down. It was better to be safe than sorry, and he didn’t want anything to spoil the progress he was making with the others.

Putting the anxiety about Hunter aside, Serix and Cassie went about their normal schedule. They worked in the fields again and broke for lunch about halfway through the day, where they met up with a few of the humans whom Serix was beginning to consider their friends. He struck up a conversation with Quincy —the male seemed to have taken a liking to him after their soccer match— while Cassie played with Emily’s young infant. They shared a knowing glance, and he knew she was thinking the same thing that he was. He smiled, enjoying the happy look on his mate’s face as she held the small child.

After they finished their lunch, Ryan came over to meet up with Cassie. He embraced her and they began to chat while Serix just stood patiently off to the side. He still didn’t like how close Ryan got to her, but he would keep his word and stop fighting with him over it. Besides, Cassie had already proven many times over that she only loved him, so the human’s efforts were wasted. With that thought in mind, Serix found it much easier to tolerate Ryan’s antics.

Ryan mentioned something about a fire to burn trash. Apparently it was some sort of entertainment for the humans. Serix wasn’t sure what was so great about smoldering garbage, but then again, he didn’t understand many things about the humans. They had many strange quirks and ideas that confused him. He would just have to wait and see what this “bonfire” was after work.

Ryan glanced at Serix and nodded at him once before he turned to leave. Serix raised a brow in amusement. The human obviously still didn’t want to treat him like an equal, so he was making a reluctant attempt while trying to put in minimal effort at the same time. If he hadn’t been on such shaky ground, Serix would have been tempted to test Ryan’s patience and see how long he could keep up the businesslike façade. However, for Cassie’s sake he said nothing.

[b]“What was that about?”[/b] Cassie said, looking amused as well. [b]“What did I miss that would make Ryan actually acknowledge you without trying to go at you?”[/b]

“Oh, I must have forgotten to tell you,” Serix hugged her teasingly. “I actually listened to what you said for once. We agreed to stop fighting—although he still thinks he has a shot at stealing you away from me.” He sighed in mock exasperation. “I think his delusion is incurable. Now come on; let’s go finish up our work. I want to see what this ‘bonfire’ is.” He threw an arm around Cassie’s shoulders and led her out of the dining hall.