"A Strange Bond"
Note: Tooth Fairy finally gets some much needed downtime, and not a second too soon! Alpha helps out a bit around the house, and they soon fall into a routine. Now that he's actually acknowledged it, Tooth Fairy explores the root of his resentment towards his people and how it relates to his loss, and Alpha is there to listen. There's some heartfelt discussion, maybe a few tears, and even a bit of humor. Alpha isn't on the couch for very long, but they keep to their agreement and behave themselves. Eventually he's ready to rejoin the world, and he comes to an important decision.
Trigger warning for emetophobes. References to 'It's A Boy', and to things that haven't happened yet in that timeline, but are well in TF's past now. He doesn't go into a whole lot of detail, so I don't think that counts as spoilers. Alpha's magic is still being shaped, and she invents a new use for it. Also, for a lifelong bachelor, living with a woman is a bit of an adjustment and it can make for some humorous gaffes!
"Chapter 35: Respite"
'Day' 1
Tooth Fairy slept for a long time. It was impossible to know exactly how long, because the clocks reflected the time passing (or not passing) outside of the Time Bubble, rather than inside it. When he finally woke up from a blessedly dreamless sleep, he was momentarily confused. His head ached, but otherwise he was comfortable and very warm. It took him a moment to realize that his head rested on something soft, and that 'something soft' was not a pillow.
He opened his eyes and realized that he had fallen asleep in Alpha's arms, and that his head now rested on her chest. At any other time, he would have moved away for decency's sake and blushed like a schoolboy, but now? Now he was still so tired, and being held by the woman he loved was nice. He did shift his lower half away a bit though, since they had pretty much been lying belly-to-belly. He closed his eyes again and sighed.
Alpha felt him stir, and this woke her up. He hasn't moved all night...well, not all 'night', but...the whole time he was asleep, he stayed in the same position. He must have really needed that sleep.
"Are you awake?" she whispered.
"No," he mumbled back. His voice was cracked and hoarse, which was hardly surprising. He nestled closer and heaved a deeper sigh; it was a sigh of drowsy contentment. He didn't want to get up yet.
"Must be talkin' in yer sleep, then," Alpha cupped the back of his head and kissed his hair. "I have to get up, luv."
"Mm-mmm..." Tooth Fairy sleepily protested.
"I need to use the bathroom."
"Oh." He reluctantly let go without bothering to open his eyes, and he dozed a bit more until she came back.
Alpha sat down on the edge of his bed and smoothed back his hair. "Want some breakfast?"
"No..."
She frowned. She hadn't seen him eat anything the whole time she was with him, and she had arrived at his home hours ago. But she didn't want to nag him, and she had been like this more than once herself. "Still sleepy?"
"Yeah."
"All right..." Alpha nodded and pulled the covers up so that he would stay warm. "Go back to sleep for a bit, and I'll just fix myself something."
"Mm-hmm," Tooth Fairy mumbled, ritching around a bit to get more comfortable; he didn't want to turn over, but the left side of his body was a bit achy from his having not moved all night. He shifted forward a bit to where she had been, trying to hold on to the last bit of warmth she'd left behind on the mattress. "You might as well get into those gift baskets...They're up for grabs."
Alpha wasn't sure if she was comfortable being the first one to open one of them, but she knew he probably wouldn't do it. Not yet. He wasn't ready to face them. She started out of the room, then turned back. "Should I bring you something later?"
"No thanks, I'll come down in a while." He finally gave up on being comfortable on his left side and turned over.
When he eventually came down, he saw that the gift baskets and totes were nowhere to be seen. Alpha was curled up in his recliner with a book. "What're you reading?"
Alpha marked her place with a magazine insert she had found. "Something from your shelf; 'The War of the Worlds'. You don't mind, do ye?"
"Pfff, why would I mind?" He waved a hand and sat down on his couch. He rubbed his temples and sighed; his headache was receding, thankfully, but it was still there.
Alpha came over and sat beside him. "How'd ye sleep, luv?"
"Pretty good..." He reluctantly looked over at her, suddenly shy. But why, though? He had cried in front of her before!
Not like that. Not that out of control, and not lying on the floor. She won't look at me the same after that! "I'm...I'm sorry about earlier. I've never lost it like that before. Never. I...On the floor like that, that was..." He shook his head and looked away. "I don't know what came over me. It was..." He searched for the word he wanted. Then he had it, but he didn't want to admit it.
Alpha waited patiently and rubbed his back. He looked back at her, and she nodded encouragingly.
He sighed. "It was terrifying. It was like...being caught in the undertow and getting dragged out to sea. It was like I wasn't having a cry, the cry was having me." He shook his head. "I dunno..."
She nodded and took his hand in hers. "Well...if ye ever 'get dragged out to sea' again, I'll just have to throw you a lifeline, won't I?"
His eyes filled with tears, but they didn't fall, and he gave her a little smile. "You already did."
They embraced for a long moment, and he sighed. The pressure was off. No more night flights and hot showers to soothe his aching back, at least for a while. No more cards. No more gift baskets. No squeaking mail slot, and no more infernal knocking. Just him and her.
But he still felt like just about anything could set him off again. Where had all his progress gone! Forget about being back to square one; he had reached a new depth, and it frightened him.
His stomach growled, but he didn't want to eat. Alpha heard it, and she wasn't letting him get away that easily.
"Want some cheese and crackers?" She asked, and tried again when he shook his head no. "It's sort of a smoked cheddar. It's pretty good with a bit of sliced apple."
"I'm not hungry."
"I know you're not," Alpha nodded sympathetically. "But you haven't eaten a thing, and it's been over twelve hours."
Tooth Fairy looked at her, unsure if he wanted to be annoyed with her insistence or not, but his traitorous stomach growled again. He was hungry; he just didn't want to eat. He wanted food, and didn't want it at the same time! The look he gave her was almost a pleading one. "Alpha..."
"All I'm askin' is that ye try. That's all. If ye can't, then...well, you can try again later."
He sighed. He knew that if their positions were reversed, he'd probably be hounding her pretty badly to eat something at this point. Maybe he would feel better if he had a little something in his stomach. "Okay...Say, where are those gift baskets, anyway?"
"I put 'em in the kitchen. I would've put them in the basement with the totes, but there wasn't enough room. Ye wanna come with, or stay here?"
"Stay here." Tooth Fairy looked down. He felt guilty again. He was perfectly capable of getting it for himself, at least physically. But she had given him the option to stay while she got it for him, and when he thought about declining and going in himself his stomach churned. What the heck is wrong with me?
Alpha nodded and gave him a peck on the cheek before going to get him his snack. She had a feeling the first few bites might trigger his appetite, so she put six crackers on his plate, six slices of cheese, and six thin slices of apple. She got him a glass of water to wash it down, grabbed a napkin, and brought it out to him. He was looking out the window and frowning. "What is it?"
He unhooked his finger from the curtain, letting it close again. "Someone's out there, getting ready to knock. He's just frozen like a statue. Talk about unsettling..."
"Not another casserole..."
"No, thank the gods..." He came over and accepted the plate and glass. "Thanks, Alpha."
"You're welcome. Just pretend he isn't there, luv. Ye won't see him if you don't open the curtains."
Tooth Fairy sat down on his couch with the plate balanced on his lap. "Easier said than done..." He put a slice of cheese on a cracker, considered the tip she'd given him earlier, then shrugged and put an apple slice on top of the cheese. Might be good...
Alpha went back into the kitchen and retrieved the apple she had started to cut up, not wanting it to sit and turn brown, and she picked up her (well, his) book again when she came back out. She didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable by watching him eat, and a moment later she heard him crunching away.
Alpha's hunch had been correct. The crackers were good and the cheese was smoky and salty, while the sliced apple was fresh and sweet. It made for a nice contrast with the cheese, and Tooth Fairy's stomach grumbled loudly as he ate. "It's good."
"Mm-hmm."
Tooth Fairy was able to finish his snack, but he didn't really have the urge to eat anymore, which was unusual for him. It wasn't an altogether unfamiliar feeling, though. His appetite was poor again. And, now that he thought about it, he had slept in his clothes and was still wearing them. He felt his face, and sure enough, his stubble was growing in. He should really shave, but...
He let his hand drop back to his lap. "I don't feel like shaving today..."
Alpha smiled a bit. "Tell me, what would you look like with a beard?"
He smirked and opened one of his end tables. After a bit of rummaging, he came out with a Polaroid someone had taken of him when he wasn't looking. "See for yourself."
"Oh!" Alpha took it somewhat eagerly and looked at it. In the picture, he was fiddling around with a fishing rod. The line had gotten tangled and bunched up at the reel. The tip of his tongue poked out a bit in concentration, and sure enough, he had a short beard that sort of looked like it was trying to be a goatee, but Alpha didn't know about men's beard styles. She laughed softly. "Well, someone's focused on what he's doing!"
"Yeah, my friend Connor took that picture. I look like a caveman in that..."
"Oh, you do not." She gave back the picture, and he put it away again.
"How many cavemen have you seen?"
Alpha fixed him with a wry look. "I live in a cave. So, quite a few."
He snorted. "Different kind of caveman. Shaving every day is bothersome, though. You, uh...prefer me with or without a beard?"
"I prefer you whichever way you're comfortable. I think you look good both ways." Alpha took a bite out of her apple, which was almost eaten down to the pips. "Beards tickle when ye kiss, though."
"And it itches when they grow in." He then remembered why he hadn't kept the beard. "Crumbs get caught in them, too...Eh, I guess I'll shave in a bit."
Alpha nodded, privately glad. She really didn't care if he shaved or not, as long as it was a choice he made for aesthetic reasons, but the thought of him neglecting himself again worried her.
He looked down at his empty plate, and considered handing it off to Alpha, but he decided that he needed to make himself face the sight of those baskets. After all, he had eaten some of what was in them, and he had handled that just fine. Okay...I can do this...
"Ye want me to get that?" Alpha asked when he began to get up with his plate.
He shook his head and adjusted his vest, which had ridden up a bit in the back. It would soon be too warm to wear these, and he would have to switch over to his lighter summer wardrobe. "No, I got it. Thanks, though."
Alpha watched him go, and she almost asked him if he wanted her to go with him, but she didn't want him to feel like she was babying him. And maybe he could handle it.
Tooth Fairy felt his stomach begin to roil before he even got to the kitchen, but he pushed on and went in. He saw seven gift baskets on his kitchen counter, one of them already unwrapped. His stomach lurched, and he fought the urge to heave. No...Roy, don't you dare throw up! He swallowed hard. The feeling did not abate, and he looked away from the gift baskets. Okay...okay...Behave, stomach...
He put his plate in the sink and turned to leave...and he could feel it coming. He quickly covered his mouth when he realized it wouldn't be stopped this time. Oh, no...
Alpha was startled when he came charging through the living room and bounded up the stairs with a hand clamped firmly over his mouth. "Roy?"
The sounds that answered her told her all she needed to know. "Oh, no..."
Alpha jogged into the kitchen and threw away her apple core, rinsed the juice from her hands, then went up to check on him. His bedroom door was open, but the bathroom door was closed. She padded over to it and knocked softly. "Roy, are you all right?"
"Don't come in," he groaned, "I didn't make it..."
"Ooh...Well, go lie down, and I'll clean it up."
"No, it got on me," He sniffled and flushed the toilet. "Just...stay out there, okay?"
"Okay...I'm sorry, luv..."
She could hear him using handfuls of toilet paper to clean his bathroom floor. "Do ye want me to pass you through some clothes?"
"No, I just..." Tooth Fairy began, not wanting her near him just now; he was humiliated enough as it was! But he knew she just wanted to help, and a part of him wanted help. She had already seen his discarded boxers anyway, so he supposed it didn't make a difference if she went through his dresser and saw the rest. He got the canister of bleach wipes out from under the sink and made darn sure the floor was clean, then liberally sprayed some air freshener. "Yeah, okay. PJ's are in the second drawer from the top...boxers are in the next one up. I'm so sorry..."
"It's all right, luv, my goodness..." She got him what he'd asked for and knocked again, and when he opened the door a crack and stuck a hand out she passed them in to him.
"Thanks..."
"Mm-hmm."
Tooth Fairy got undressed and folded his soiled clothes so that the stain was on the inside and not touching anything, and he stepped into the shower to wash his shame down the drain. He would have to pass through the kitchen again to get to his basement, where his washer and dryer were. At least if he got sick again, his stomach was pretty much empty. Even if Alpha knew how to use the washer and dryer, he wasn't about to ask her to wash his clothes.
Why had this happened? He was fine with that food when it was on a plate! Why had he suddenly come over all sick and shaky?
The baskets...It's not what's in them, it's the presentation...That's how they arrived, and that's what's setting me off. Oh, this is ridiculous...They're just baskets!
He was in there for so long that he used up all the hot water, and this effectively put an end to his stalling. He dried off and put on a set of burgundy pajamas, had a good long swish with mouthwash, took a deep breath to steel himself to face her after that, and gathered up his dirty clothes to wash them.
Alpha hadn't waited for him in his room, for which he was grateful. She always seemed to know when he needed space! Then he froze.
She was using her magic, but it wasn't like any magic use he had sensed from her before. And it wasn't combat magic, either. She was using it to...well, it felt like something was changing, and she was the cause of it. He cautiously went downstairs, and realized she was in the kitchen. "Uhh...sweetheart? Whatcha doin'?"
"Thought I'd try my hand at transformation." Alpha came out with something in her hand. Whatever it was, it looked like a pumpkin, only it was made of wicker. And tiny! It was about the size of the apple she had been eating.
Tooth Fairy wasn't much of a wicker guy, and he didn't really collect too many knick-knacks, so it definitely wasn't something he had bought and just forgotten about. "What's that thing?"
"Well, it was a basket." Alpha held it behind her back and out of sight. "Go on, it's safe to go in."
"I...What did you do?" It still wasn't sinking in.
Alpha managed not to wrinkle her nose. It wasn't a strong smell, but it was still vomit. "I'll tell you when ye come back up."
Tooth Fairy ducked his head and went into the kitchen, and sure enough the baskets were nowhere to be seen. Neither were their contents. Curiosity warred with gratitude, and he went to do his laundry. When he came back up, he washed his hands just to make extra sure that they were clean and peeked in the refrigerator.
Alpha had emptied out all of the baskets and put the perishables in the fridge.
He looked in the cabinets, and sure enough, the non-perishables were right where he'd guessed they would be. Instead of being a trigger for him, they now made his pantry look like he had just done his grocery shopping for the week. Oh, Alpha, I love you...
He came back out and sat beside her on the couch, and hugged her without a word.
"Are you all right?" Alpha hugged back.
"Not really..." He sniffled. "But better than I was a minute ago."
"Ohh..." She rubbed his back.
"I figured out what you did...Thank you."
"You're welcome. I just wish I'd thought of it sooner. M'sorry ye lost yer breakfast, Wintergreen..."
He sat back and dried his face. "Well, I'm sorry you had to witness that. I don't think I lost all of it, though. I'll eat something else later."
"Okay," Alpha could see that he didn't want to talk anymore, and she nodded at his DVD collection. "Want to watch something?"
"Yeah."
They spent the rest of that 'day' watching movies and cuddling under his afghan. It was an old Chicago Bears throw, and it actually had a couple small holes in it, but it was clearly well-loved and it was warm.
'The 'Burbs' actually got him to laugh, specifically the part where Corey Feldman's character dropped the line 'pizza dude'. After that they put in 'The Wizard of Oz', which Alpha was surprised he actually had a copy of.
"I didn't know ye were into musicals," Alpha teased as she rejoined him under the blanket.
"I'm not, but this was the first movie I ever went to. I saw it in theaters in 1939." He explained as the opening credits began.
"So did I!" Alpha grinned. "I snuck in and sat in the back."
Tooth Fairy 'tsk-tsked' in mild disapproval, but something occurred to him. "Wouldn't it be funny if we were at the same showing and didn't know it?"
"It would, but I doubt we were. Humans and Fairies have a very similar scent, but now that I'm familiar with it I can tell the difference, and I never got a whiff."
Tooth Fairy raised an eyebrow. "Okay, that's just weird to say..."
"Well, it's true!" She chuckled. "I mean, I don't go around just randomly smelling people; that'd be rude. I just happen to notice things, and I would've been able to tell if a non-human was there."
He laughed at that, and got back to the subject of them possibly seeing the same show at the same time. "Well, I don't know how you could tell, what with all the cigarette smoke that was around back then. It could've happened. You don't believe in coincidences?"
"No, I believe in them. I just don't trust them."
"Heh. It kinda blew my mind what humans could do with practical effects and no magic at all."
"Oh, aye," Alpha snuggled in close, glad that he seemed to be enjoying himself. She was under no illusion that he was 'fine', of course, and she had a feeling they would end up having some pretty heavy conversations later on. For now, though, she had no solid plans and was taking her cues from him. If he wanted to talk, they would talk. If he wanted to distract himself with movies, they would have a movie marathon. Her main goal was to simply be with him and make sure his frazzled nerves got a chance to heal. Or, at least, start to. "That cyclone was incredible, and all it was was a giant muslin sock!"
"Really?" He shifted so that he could give his wings a short flutter; with them resting against the back of the couch, they got pins and needles the same way his arm did if he happened to sleep on it. It wasn't painful, but he didn't like it.
"Ye never checked out the special features on your DVD? There's a making-of documentary on that."
"Huh! Wanna watch it after this?"
"Sure."
They were mostly quiet throughout the movie, just enjoying the nostalgia, but the goodbye scene at the end had him sniffling.
"Are you okay?"
Tooth Fairy rested his head on her shoulder and nodded. "Sorry, it's the music..." He swallowed and dried his face on a corner of the blanket. "I'm fine."
Alpha knew it wasn't just the music, but she didn't contradict him. She leaned her head against his as the movie's colors went back to sepia.
Something occurred to him, and he frowned and lifted his head again. "I never thought about it before, but...are the witches in this movie offensive?"
"No," she shook her head, "not really. I mean, there's a good witch and a bad witch, and the Witches in The Hollow are all individuals. Everyone's generally well behaved because we've had to sort of become one huge extended family, but we don't always get along. And there's the occasional bad apple, same as anywhere. The only thing is, Glinda said, 'only bad witches are ugly'. The word 'ugly' is pretty subjective, I think, and looks don't correlate with personality in any case."
He kissed the side of her head. "Yours do."
"Flatterer."
Tooth Fairy enjoyed the documentary, and when it ended Alpha asked, "What do you want to watch after this?"
"You pick."
"Hm...I'll have to get up and look."
He groaned and tightened his arms around her. "No..."
"I'm no' a squeaky toy, luv!" She giggled.
"You're not?" He snaked one arm down and tickled her tummy.
"Eep!" Alpha squeaked and squirmed away with a grin. "Shame on ye."
"Hehehe. Come back, it's cold."
"No, I have to switch out the DVD's." Alpha evaded his hands, and he chuckled as she went to pick another movie to watch.
Dinner was a more subdued affair. They got a start on the baked ziti, which was every bit as good as it smelled, but Tooth Fairy couldn't finish his. He covered his leftovers and put the plate in his fridge, and Alpha didn't press him. She was just glad he had eaten. As the 'day' drew to a close, he seemed more and more pensive.
When she reached a point where she couldn't stop yawning, Alpha went upstairs to his bathroom, had a shower, and got ready for bed. Well, 'couch'. She came down wearing black sweat pants and a purple T-shirt with a humorous design on it; a row of grinning jack-o-lanterns at the top and bottom, and a ghost in the middle with a speech bubble saying, 'I'm just here for the boos'. Normally he would have at least cracked a smile at it, but he didn't. He looked up when he heard her come down, and reluctantly got to his feet. "I'll go get you a pillow and some blankets."
"That's okay, the couch has throw pillows, and this blanket's warm enough." Alpha gently snagged his arm. "Hey...what's wrong?"
He shook his head and kissed her forehead. "Nothing. Just tired."
Alpha frowned as she watched him go upstairs, but she didn't want to intrude if he needed space. She had made herself available, and he knew that he could come to her if he needed to talk, but he would talk when he was ready. She was the same way.
He came back down with a pillow and an extra blanket. "In case the throw pillow's too hard, or you get cold..." He awkwardly explained.
"Thanks, Roy," Alpha accepted them, then kissed him goodnight and gave him a long hug. "I love you."
He hugged back and simply nodded, unable to speak over the lump in his throat.
Alpha had misread the situation a bit. Tooth Fairy didn't want to talk about his breakdown or the events that had triggered it, that was true, but he did not need space. Nor did he want it.
He had given Alpha his extra pillow, which meant he had nothing for his arm to go around; no pillow, and no Alpha. Without the movies to distract him and their easy, loving banter, he was alone with his thoughts once more, and he didn't like it.
Even though she hadn't meant to fall asleep in his bed with him before, he had been glad to wake up and find her there. It let him know that he wasn't alone, and even though he knew she was just downstairs, he keenly felt the solitude. Also, she was sleeping on the couch, and that didn't feel right to him. As a gentleman, he should have insisted on taking the couch and given her the bed. He thought so, anyway.
They had made an agreement. No more bed-sharing until the time was right. He knew he could control himself, and he fully intended to do so, but he didn't want her to feel uncomfortable.
But if she made a move on him, would he even want to resist her? Resist her he would, because he hadn't proposed yet, but no, he would not want to, and it would just be uncomfortable all around. So, he tried to sleep. For hours, he tossed and he turned, and the intrusive thoughts crept in.
Why hadn't his people helped him search for his sister, and why did they suddenly 'care' now?
Why had he lost it so completely before, and to such a small trigger? Or, was it small? What was he missing?
How could Alpha love him so much after he had been such a downer this year? This wasn't how he was!
But she did love him. And he felt like he didn't deserve it.
The pillow his head rested on had been the one she'd used earlier, and it smelled faintly of vanilla from her hair. It was a comforting smell, but he still couldn't sleep. Finally, he simply gave up and got out of bed. He folded up the duvet, grabbed it and his pillow, and heaved a sigh. You're pathetic, Roy, do you know that?
Centuries of sneaking into peoples' rooms to exchange coins for teeth served him well as he tip-toed down the stairs and passed his sleeping girlfriend. He knew he would have to explain himself later on, but right now he just wanted to sleep and be near her. He sat down in his recliner and arranged the duvet, slowly pulled the handle so as not to wake her with the clunking sound it usually made, and got himself settled. His wings would be a bit sore when he woke up due to his having slept on his back, but right now he didn't care.
Listening to her slow, even breathing, he was asleep within five minutes.
'Day' 2
This time, Alpha woke up before he did. She frowned when she heard a soft snore from the vicinity of the recliner. Tooth Fairy had apparently gotten up during the 'night' and come down to sleep in his chair. One leg dangled off the foot rest, and as soundly as he was sleeping, he didn't look very comfortable. If nothing else, his foot was probably cold.
Alpha yawned and sat up, stretched, and went over to wake him. "Roy?"
He didn't respond until she gently jiggled his shoulder, then he snorted himself awake. "Huh? Oh..." His sleep-addled brain caught up, and he looked sheepishly away. "Hey..."
"What're ye doin', luv?" Alpha was smiling, but her concern was obvious.
"Well, I was sleeping." Tooth Fairy adjusted his position to take some pressure off his wings and rested his chin on his fist with a cheeky smile. "And now, I'm talking to you."
"You know what I mean." Alpha knelt beside the chair to get on his level, but didn't kiss him; they both needed to brush their teeth.
"Yeah, I know..." He sighed. "It's silly, but..."
"Mm-mmm," Alpha shook her head. "This is a judgment-free zone. Ye had a reason for sleeping here. What's up?"
He turned red. "I couldn't sleep. I just...missed you, I guess...I tried to sleep, but I didn't wanna be alone. And...I dunno."
"Och..." Alpha shook her head and hugged him. "Why didn't ye say somethin'?"
"Felt a bit silly..." He admitted, hugging back. "And I didn't want you to think...well..."
"What?" She released him and tilted her head.
"I didn't want you to feel...pressured."
She still wasn't getting it. "'Pressured' how?"
He couldn't say it. "You know."
Oh. "Roy, this is different. I think we both know that now is definitely not the time to take that step. I can control myself, and I trust ye to do the same. Can you?"
He nodded, feeling as if a weight had just been lifted off his shoulders. "Yeah."
She shook her head. "No funny business." Not yet, anyway.
"Heh...no funny business." He agreed with a bashful smile. Not yet, anyway. "Is hugging still okay?"
Alpha smiled back. "I thought that was the point, luv."
Gods, he loved her!
She stroked his whiskery cheek. "So...we can ditch the couch and chair, and just share the bed. We've done that before."
"You sure you're okay with that?" he asked.
"I am if you are."
He was.
Tooth Fairy's appetite was a little better. After a breakfast of ready-made snack foods, which he wondered if they would ever be able to finish between the two of them, he put his clothes on for another wash cycle, since he had forgotten about them the 'day' before. They took turns using the bathroom, and he showered and got dressed in his day clothes.
After waffling about whether to shave or not, he got out his shaving kit and made short work of the scruff he was growing. Then he spotted Alpha's scrabble board still sitting on his desk. We both like Scrabble. I wonder if she wants to play?
He took the game and went back downstairs, both to see what she was up to and to get a start on the dishes he had let pile up in the sink. He found her leaning against the counter, sipping a glass of water, and the dishes were nowhere to be seen.
Alpha saw his confused look and shook her head. "Oh, I already got 'em."
"You didn't have to do that..." Tooth Fairy was touched, but embarrassed that he had let the dishes sit there that long.
"I didn't mind," Alpha smiled. "It gave me somethin' to do." Then she pointed at the Scrabble board. "Up for a game?"
"Yeah, if you want."
They spent the rest of their second 'day' in the Time Bubble playing Scrabble and having the occasional snack, but again there were no serious conversations. He knew he would probably cry when he decided to talk about it, and he wanted to take full advantage of this opportunity to just relax with her, so he was putting it off.
When they went to bed, however, he reflected on the reason why she was there in the first place. He couldn't put these feelings off forever, and when they laid down and he made eye contact with her, he felt his eyes begin to sting. No words were exchanged, and she simply nodded and pulled him into a gentle hug. There were only a few quiet sniffles from him, and he soon fell asleep.
'Day' 7
'Days' three, four, five and six passed in much the same way as the first two. He relaxed, watched movies with Alpha, played Scrabble with her, and their meals consisted of the food that had been dropped off for him. At this point, the garbage can was starting to get a bit funky. He was starting to stress out about having to leave the Time Bubble sooner than he felt he was ready to, since he would have to go outside to take the trash out, but Alpha had an idea. It was time to show off her new 'trick'!
"Okay, watch this..." She removed the lid and held a hand over the can. Her hand began to glow orange, and there was a sparkling effect that was similar to the one that happened when he made his wings invisible. As these orange 'sparks' drifted down, the garbage began to shrink and compress until an odorless brown cube sat in the bottom of the trash bag.
"Huh! Where'd you get the idea to try that?" Tooth Fairy picked up the cube and turned it in his hands. It was hard and solid like a block of wood, but light. If he was a betting man, he would wager that it was completely biodegradable.
"Well, I thought if the Witches can transform things, and I've got magic of my own now, why not give it a try?" Alpha smiled. Since he was someone who had grown up with magic and viewed it as commonplace, it was sort of flattering that he was impressed. "And it worked on the baskets. So, you don't have to leave yet. Not if you're not ready."
He wasn't. And he felt bad about that. Tooth Fairy dropped the block back into the can and replaced the lid before washing his hands. "I'm sorry you're stuck here with me..."
"I'm not 'stuck here'," Alpha told him, a little taken aback by this, "I want to be here."
He sighed, hung his head, and gripped the edges of the counter. "Why?"
Alpha came over and touched his shoulder, unsure how he would take a hug at the moment. "Because I love you, and because you asked me."
He walked out of the kitchen.
She followed, but not closely. "Where's this coming from?"
Tooth Fairy sighed and turned to face her. "You're trapped here because I cried like a baby and couldn't stand to be here by myself! You shouldn't have to pick up the pieces every time I fall apart. And it just keeps happening! I know why, but I don't know what to do about it. I just...I thought I was okay. I really did."
He sat down on the couch, and Alpha sat down beside him.
"You were getting there," she reached over and took his hand, "until the stress got piled on and you were forced to tell people your private business. Ah, Roy...even machines break down from time to time. But you're not a machine, are ye?"
"No..."
"No...Machines don't feel anything." Alpha gave his hand a gentle squeeze, which he returned. "Ye reached a breaking point, and there's no shame in that. That was something that was happening to you, not something you did...and it wasn't your fault. Okay?"
"Then whose fault was it?" He asked dully.
Alpha wanted to point the finger at the Fairies, but she didn't. That wasn't really fair, and no matter how much their gestures had hurt him rather than helped him, she couldn't presume to know the thought behind them. Perhaps Tooth Fairy was right. But it was just as possible that he hadn't been approachable all those centuries ago after Brinna disappeared, and they had searched for Brinna on their own without telling him. But now was not the time to point it out, and it was just speculation. "I think it's more a matter of circumstance than fault, really. Everything going on around ye culminated into what it ended up being. But about something you said earlier..."
"Hm?"
"Tell me...How long have you felt this way about your people?"
Tooth Fairy shook his head and looked down. "I don't know...I didn't even know I did. Not really. I...guess I kinda buried it."
"Aye...That's something to work on, I think."
"And if I buried that...what else did I bury?" He looked at her, and there was fear in his eyes. "Last 'night', I had a dream..."
She waited for him to speak, then gently prodded when he didn't, "What about, luv?"
"My dad was right. Crying does make you a target." he told her.
"What do you mean?" She asked, letting go of his hand and putting her arm around him, just below his wings.
Tooth Fairy shook his head and looked away. "Never mind..."
But she didn't let it go. She didn't let him go. "Please, don't do that...Tell me..."
He shook his head again, and buried his face in his hands. They were silent for several minutes, and finally he began to speak. "It wasn't just a dream...It was a memory. Every small-winged Fairy gets teased when he's a kid. But...I was the first boy to be born in the Tooth Fairy line, and when I started school...it was just next level, y'know? I don't like to advertise it, but pretty much everyone here knows my family has...had...a good deal of money. The other boys like me would end up working in sanitation and whatnot, but not me. So...most of them kinda turned on me, too. I acted like it didn't bother me. Learned that if I made jokes at my expense, got 'em to laugh, the teasing wasn't as bad. But sometimes it just got to be too much. My friend Connor was small-winged like me, and we'd been friends since we were babies, so he stuck by me when we were kids."
"Mm-hmm..." Alpha nodded, just letting him talk.
"So, one day, Connor and I are just roughhousing a little and he ends up with a black eye. His mother accused me of doing it on purpose, wouldn't even let me explain, and said we weren't allowed to play together anymore. And I just went off by myself, and...you know."
"Aye..."
He sniffled quietly and looked straight ahead. "Aiden and his friends found me and dragged me out of the bush I was hiding in. That was the day I learned what mud tastes like."
"Oh Roy, that's terrible...I'm so sorry..."
He shrugged. "Sure tasted terrible. But they caught me crying, and it did make me a target. And I forgot all about it..."
Maybe that's why crying scares him. Maybe he associates it with punishment! "Roy, they were wrong to do what they did. And I get why Connor's mother was upset, but she was also wrong to blame you. I'm not a fan of the phrase 'boys will be boys', but accidents like that do happen. I'm sorry that happened to ye..."
He nodded, but still wouldn't look at her. "One of the guys who did it showed up earlier with a casserole his wife made. Acting all friendly, like he didn't shove mud in my face when we were kids, or like he didn't make the joke, 'is wing size an indicator of'...well, you get the picture." He almost said, 'it isn't, by the way', but he caught himself in time. He had already said more than he'd meant to, and that would definitely be TMI!
Alpha's hands flared bright orange as her anger bubbled up, but it didn't boil over.
He noticed, though, and looked down at the floor. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have told you that. That was inappropriate."
"Roy...words like 'should', 'shouldn't', and 'inappropriate' can go play in the traffic, okay?"
This provoked a sudden snicker from him, and he hugged her. "Never heard that one before!"
"Well, ye have now," Alpha hugged back, and her hands dimmed and soon stopped glowing altogether. "Maybe he's changed. People do grow up. But I'd feel some kind o' way about havin' him show up on my doorstep, let me tell ye."
"Oh, I definitely felt some kind of way about it." He agreed. "About everything. I just...Why now, when it doesn't matter anymore? Why are they reaching out to me now? I don't understand it."
She sighed. "Could be any number of things. Could be guilt. Could be they're just trying to do the neighborly thing people do when someone's ill or there's been a death in the family. I very much doubt they wanted to hurt ye by doing all this..."
He looked at her with tears in his eyes and shook his head. "But they did."
Alpha put her arms around him. "I know they did..."
Tooth Fairy returned the hug and hid his face against her shoulder, crying softly. "They knew she was gone...For over four hundred years, she was gone, and nothing. Not one word! But you wanna know what hurts even more?"
"What, luv?"
"They didn't help me look for her...and it's like they expect me to just forget that! I was going out of my mind, wondering where she was, if she was okay. Would she ever come back? Did she have shelter? Was she able to find food? Were the strangers she met on the road being kind to her? But the strangers she did meet ended up killing her..." He shook his head, unable to say anymore for a time. Eventually, he sniffled and sat back. "And I still had to do my job, to keep these people hidden, people who didn't even care!"
Alpha nodded gently. "It sucks."
He nodded back, still sniffling as he dried his face. "I don't want to hate them, but I do..."
Alpha suspected that he didn't actually hate them, or at least that he didn't normally hate them, but she wasn't about to tell him how he felt. Instead, she asked him. "Do you really? Hate them, I mean?"
He thought about it, approaching the thought from another angle. And his expression cleared a bit. "I...I hate what they did. Or didn't do. And I hated not being able to just relax for a day and process things after that meeting. I hate that I still can't bring myself to visit her grave, and the mayor got there first. I hate that they all know about her, when they didn't seem to give two hoots that she was missing. And if I ever hear that mail slot squeak again, I swear, I'm gonna get a new door and install a mailbox."
"Yes, I second that," She smiled at that last comment, which was almost-but-not-really a joke. She rubbed his back. "Feel any better after gettin' that out?"
He thought about it, and he was surprised to note that he did feel a tiny bit better. "A little, yeah. I still feel bad about you being stuck here..."
"Wouldn't you do the same for me?" She asked him.
"Of course," he said without hesitation. "And if Father Time said no, I'd take my second warning, my third, and my suspension. I'd take it with a smile."
Alpha could see that he meant it, and she was touched, but she shook her head and kissed him. "You beautiful man. I won't have ye gettin' in trouble for me. But I love ye."
He returned the kiss, smiled at being called 'beautiful', and kissed her again. "I believe that's my choice to make."
"Then it just won't come to that," She hugged him again. They left that 'argument' at a stalemate, and chose not to dwell on the hypothetical.
'Day' 8
It was laundry day for Tooth Fairy, or it would have been if time wasn't almost standing still for the rest of the world. Alpha was wearing her last clean outfit, so she needed to do laundry too, and he showed her how to use his washer and dryer. He need not have bothered, because he had taped the instructions to the wall so that he wouldn't forget them, and they were easy enough to follow.
"So, you just toss one of these pods in. Put in your clothes. Aaand, let's see..." He picked up one of his pairs of pants and read the tag. 'Machine wash cold, with like colors. Tumble dry low'. So, that's what I'll do..."
Alpha held back a smile. He obviously knew how to wash these things, and she had read the instructions when he was sorting his laundry, but explaining things to her seemed to make him happy. Plus, he was cute when something made him feel important.
He turned a dial, dumped his pants into the washer, and pressed the button. "See? Easy-peasy!"
That 'evening' after dinner, while they sat on the couch and folded their clothes, Tooth Fairy kept getting up every so often to go down to the basement. He would stay there for a minute or two, then come up and resume folding without a word.
Alpha was having no such difficulty, since her system could tolerate just about anything she put into it, and the fifth time he came back, she smirked. "All right, luv?"
"Yeah, why?" Tooth Fairy shook out his trousers and folded them.
"Ye keep leavin' the room."
His cheeks turned red. "I'm fine."
Alpha shook her head and tried to contain her amusement. "Look, Roy, we know each other pretty well by now. I don't care if ye break wind in front of me."
Tooth Fairy fumbled the pair of pants he had just begun to fold, then fished them out of the basket. "I don't do that in front of ladies. And was it that obvious?"
Not awake, you don't. "No, not really, but your tummy's been making noise ever since we got into that three bean taco bake, so it wasn't hard to guess."
"Couldn't you just let me think you were blissfully ignorant?" He mumbled, then got up to leave again. He came back two minutes later, primly cleared his throat, and sat down on the couch. He could feel the couch jiggling a bit as Alpha held in her giggles, and he rolled his eyes. "Okay, go ahead, I know you want to."
Alpha 'snerked', then laughed a little before hugging him. "I'm sorry, luv."
"Yeah, yeah."
A moment later, with no early warning in the form of a sound, Alpha realized why he kept going downstairs and she moved from the couch to the dining room. "Ew...I rescind my previous permission."
"Excuse me."
"No excuse for ye." She smirked.
"Hahaha! Really, I'm sorry, that wasn't on purpose."
"Mm-hmm."
He gestured with a finished sock bundle. "Y'know, most people would call that a relationship milestone."
"Most people don't have my nose." But she came back and sat down anyway. "Revenge for the teasing?"
"No, I really didn't do it on purpose." There was a beat, then he chortled. "The 'not warning' part was the revenge."
Alpha whacked him with a throw pillow.
"Hahaha!"
They got back to folding their clothes.
The card totes now had a thin film of dust on their lids, and they remained in the basement where Alpha had put them.
That 'night', Alpha woke up and sleepily trudged off to use the bathroom.
A moment later, there was a short scream, and Tooth Fairy snapped awake in an instant. Alpha was gone, and...wait, the bathroom door was closed. He relaxed, but only a little. "Alpha, are you okay?"
"Ye left the toilet seat up..." She groused.
He heard her moving around in the bathroom, and the urge to laugh nearly overcame him. "Don't tell me..."
"I fell in!"
"Oh, no!" For the first time in quite a while, Tooth Fairy exploded into gales of laughter. In between gasps and guffaws, he tried to apologize. "Are you...hahaha! I'm sorry, are you okay?"
"Aye, I'm takin' a shower. Do me a favor and don't look when I come out? I didn't bring a change of clothes in with me, because why would I anticipate gettin' a cold arse?"
This got him going again, and he got out of bed and grabbed her duffel bag from the corner. "I'm putting your bag by the door, and I'll face the other way until you say so. Sorry about that!"
"Aye, thanks. Normally I'd put the seat down meself, but I was still half asleep..."
Tooth Fairy got back into bed and faced away, and he managed to keep most of his laughter in when he heard her retrieve her bag.
She eventually got back into bed, and he turned to pull her into a hug, but he saw that she looked moderately irritated.
Oh boy. First I pass gas in front of her, then she falls in the toilet because of me. And I laughed about it! No wonder she's mad. "I really am sorry, Alpha. Normally I'd remember, but I'm used to it being just me."
Alpha could understand that, and she wasn't really mad at him. She just hadn't planned on taking a shower before going back to bed, and now she was wide awake. "It's fine, luv. I left some hair on the shower wall for ye to find later on."
"What?" He squinted, both confused and a little weirded out. Women do that?
She snickered and reached for him. "Kidding. C'mere."
He shook his head and they cuddled up together under the duvet. I'm really gonna miss this when we leave...
'Day' 9
Alpha found the bed empty when she woke up, and after brushing her teeth she went downstairs to find Tooth Fairy sitting on the couch in his pajamas with a tote on the floor beside him. There was already a small stack of opened cards on the coffee table, and he glanced up at her when he heard the stairs creak.
"Hey, Alpha. I'd ask you how you slept, but..." He snickered.
She snorted and joined him on the couch. "Well, that's not the way ye get a 'good-morning kiss'."
He leaned over to give her one anyway. She playfully pushed his face away, and he laughed softly. "Come ooon. I said I was sorry. I even made sure it was down for you today and everything."
She relented and kissed him with a smile. "You're lucky you're cute. How are ye today, luv?"
He shrugged. He was feeling better, now that he had had this much-needed 'staycation'. Despite the emotional turmoil, the rest had really done him a lot of good. And so had her company. "I'm okay. Just thought I'd give it a try, see if I could read these things and not lose it, and so far so good."
"That's good," Alpha picked up one of the cards he had already opened. "Mind if I look at a couple of these?"
"No, go ahead." He opened another card.
Alpha read through the stack on the coffee table, and she thought they were pretty standard for what they were. Most of them were simply signed, or had an added 'my condolences', but a few of them had personal little notes. There was one from someone named Siobhán, and it was clear that they knew each other.
'Dear Tooth Fairy,
I wish I knew what to say, and after all this time I'm sure this is coming out of nowhere. I would have stopped by in person, but I'm sure others have had the same idea, and I don't want to intrude.
I am so very sorry! We used to have such good times, the four of us. Please let me know if there's anything I can do.
Your friend,
Siobhán'
Tooth Fairy saw which card she had, and he guiltily looked away. "Ah...that's from someone I used to pal around with when we were kids."
"I gathered that," Alpha put the card back and took notice of his odd look. "What's with the face ye put on?"
Tooth Fairy shook his head. "S'nothing."
Alpha nudged his elbow. "Old flame?"
"Not even," He shook his head, still avoiding her gaze. "I was interested, and she wasn't. So, that was that. I mean, I got over it pretty quick, so I wasn't in love with her, or anything, but..."
Alpha rolled her eyes. "Ye think I didn't guess that you'd had a life of some kind before I came along? You're actin' like ye did something wrong."
"Well...not wrong, just...embarrassing." Tooth Fairy covered his face, rubbed it, then turned to her. "Okay, you know how teenagers play stupid pranks on each other, right?"
"Aye?"
"Okay...well, someone, not sure who, figured out that I kinda liked her, and they got one of our classmates to write me a note. This guy could mimic peoples' handwriting pretty well, and...I thought she liked me back. So, 'she' invited me to meet her somewhere, and I went, and she never showed up. Ugh..." He rubbed his face again. "This is so embarrassing...I went up to her the next day, and I was like, 'Hey, where were you?', and she had no idea what I was talking about."
"Oh, no..." Alpha winced.
"Yeah...Everyone but the two of us got a good laugh out of that one, and she turned red and wouldn't look at me for the rest of the day. Thought she hated me, but it turns out she was just as embarrassed as I was. And she didn't like me back. Not like that, I mean. So, she felt bad, and I felt worse, and...it was just bad. We kinda drifted apart after that."
Alpha shook her head. "Ouch."
"Yeah..."
"I think everyone's made a fool of themselves in front of their crush, though. Or, if they haven't, they will. I remember doing a pratfall into a mud puddle one time, and getting laughed at for it. Another time, there was a boy in the village I became friendly with. And I suppose he was rather bonny, too, if the other girls' interest in him meant anythin'. I thought things were goin' in a different direction than they were, and when he asked me if I wanted to go to the market with him I said 'I'd love you' instead of 'I'd love to'. See, I could speak English at that point, but I still wasn't the best at it, and I got a bit confused."
"Oooh..." Now it was Tooth Fairy's turn to wince, but he actually felt a little better about what had happened to him.
"And to make matters worse, he asked me to go with him so's I could pick out what sort o' things my sister would've liked for him to buy her. Turns out he liked her, and not me. Jonet and I had quite the altercation over that lad, and he turned out to be a real numpty when all was said and done. He was courtin' the grocer's daughter a week later, and Jonet and I vowed to never fight like that over a boy again. And we never did, either. So...bullet dodged, I guess?"
He was laughing now, and he shook his head. "I never would've pegged you as being a boy-crazy teenager."
"I wasn't. I was more upset about me sister sittin' on her high horse and makin' her little comments at me. We both ended up lookin' pretty silly in the end." Alpha shrugged and sat back with her arms crossed, still looking rather sleepy.
He sat back as well, taking a break from the cards, and put his arm around her. "I haven't heard you talk about your siblings much. Is it...uh...difficult for you?"
Alpha leaned her head against his chest, fighting to stay awake. "It'll always be there, but it doesn't hurt like it did when it first happened. I actually like talking about them, but...there aren't too many people who even know they existed."
Tooth Fairy thought he understood what she meant. He had begun to reach a place where he wasn't okay with what had happened to Brinna, but he had accepted it and mostly forgiven himself for his role in her disappearance. He wasn't at the point where he liked talking about her a lot, but up until that meeting in the clearing, he could still do it and not feel like he was on the verge of tears every time. Maybe it would get easier for him, and someday he would enjoy talking about the things he and Brinna got up to. "Am I one of 'em?"
Alpha draped her arm over him, hugging him like the large teddy bear he was. "Aye. And you know that if you ever want to talk about Brinna..."
"I know."
They sat there for a short while, and Tooth Fairy was about to go back to reading his cards when he realized Alpha had fallen asleep. He smiled softly, pulled the Bears afghan off the back of the couch, and carefully draped it over both of them. He kissed the top of her head. "Night, sweetheart."
'Day' 10
It was almost time for bed on the tenth 'day' when he finally finished reading the cards, and he was glad he'd made himself do it. He had no doubt that more would come when they left the Time Bubble, but now he thought that he could handle them.
Connor, Siobhán's nextdoor neighbor and his childhood best friend, had sent him a card with a message that left him sobbing. This was the only card that reduced him to tears, and Alpha was at his side in a heartbeat. "Roy, what is it?"
He wordlessly handed her the card and buried his face in his hands.
She rubbed his back as she looked at the card.
'Roy,
My brother. There's really nothing I can say! I'm absolutely heartbroken, and I know it must be so much harder for you! Your sister was a treasure, and I know how much you loved each other. I'm sorry we weren't able to find her. I'm sorry you had to bear this alone for so long! I'm sorry we lost touch. I'm just sorry.
I don't know the nature of your relationship with Alpha, and I don't need to know. I can see that she's been a great friend and comfort to you, and I suppose that's all that matters. I'm glad you met her. I hope to meet her too, one day.
Please, let me know at some point if we can meet up in person. I'd like to catch up, whenever you're up to it. Until then, just know that the old gang's thinking about you.
Love you, man!
Connor'
"Oh, that's sweet..." Alpha put the card down and pulled her crying boyfriend into a hug. "You okay, luv?"
"Yeah..." Tooth Fairy sniffled and hugged back. "Did you see what it said? It said 'we', not 'you'. They...they did look for her! Or, at least, Connor did..."
"Aye..." Alpha hugged him until he was calm again, and he sat back and leaned his head on the back of the couch.
"If Connor looked for her, do you think I was wrong about the rest of 'em?"
"Maybe...but they didn't tell ye. How could you have known?" Alpha pointed out, still rubbing his shoulder.
"Yeah...I guess. Wow...I don't even know how to feel right now." He held out his arm, and she nestled in close.
"It looks like ye feel tired," Alpha replied. "And no wonder...That's a load off yer shoulders, isn't it?"
"And then some."
While they were brushing their teeth, Tooth Fairy thought back over the past ten 'days'. His mood at the start of it, and the mood he was in now, were worlds apart. And Alpha had been there with him every step of the way.
They got into bed, and he kissed her forehead. "You're a special lady."
She smiled, and kissed him on the lips. "You're pretty special yourself."
He sighed and closed his eyes, feeling the warmth of her body next to his for what was probably the last time. At least, until he made it official, and only if she said yes. "I'm thinking about going back out tomorrow."
Alpha opened her eyes and looked at him. "If you're certain you're ready..."
He nodded. "I have some things I need to take care of...and I can't hide in here forever."
She smiled. "I'm proud of ye, Roy."
He smiled back and rested his forehead against hers. "I will miss this, though."
Alpha caressed his cheek. "Well, you've been nothing but the perfect gentleman, luv...except when ye laughed at me for falling into the toilet."
He snickered, remembering that that wasn't the only 'oops' he had pulled that night. "I said I was sorry."
"Aye...Listen, if ye still want to do this after...As long as we don't cross that line, I think it's fine."
And he was very tempted to take her up on that offer. But if they had one moment of weakness, they could easily have another. And what if, for that next one, they didn't want to stop? They would regret it afterwards, and he respected her too much to do that to her. He smiled gently and shook his head, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "We already had one close call...and like ya said to me, you're worth waiting for."
And if things went the way he hoped they would, they might not have to wait for very much longer.
April 17th
Immediately after work, Roy swung by the Fairy Market and made his way to a shop that he never thought he'd have cause to visit.
As painful as it had been to confront his demons, and as terrifying as it had been to break down so completely, he realized that he had needed that time away from the world to grieve. Holding on to so much resentment and denying to himself that it even existed hadn't been healthy at all.
He wasn't done mourning his sister, and he knew it. This wasn't going away. But he could bear it.
And Alpha had stayed with him. With Father Time's help, she had created an environment where he felt completely safe to just let himself grieve, where he could just have quiet time with her, and where he had no obligation other than to get better. He wasn't quite there yet, he knew. But he was ready to face the world again, and his first night back on the job had gone very well.
He could face life without his sister going forward. And he hoped he could be as good for Alpha as she was for him.
Tooth Fairy entered the Minter's shop and glanced around the place. No one was there this early, so he was the only customer. Display coins stood in glass cases for potential buyers to admire, and while they were nice, they weren't what he was after.
Edgar, a small man with a rabbity look to him, looked up from weighing ingots and did a double take. "Tooth Fairy?!"
Aaand let the judgments commence! "Morning, Edgar."
"Good morning. Sorry, we don't get men like you in here very often." Edgar thoughtlessly commented, referring to the small-winged men.
Maybe I can have some fun with this. "Men like me?" Tooth Fairy deliberately missed Edgar's meaning. "In what way?"
"Uh..." Realizing that he'd been rude, Edgar cleared his throat. "Sorry, what can I do for you, Tooth Fairy?"
Tooth Fairy didn't correct Edgar about the name. Baby steps! "I'd like to have a coin made."
"You?"
Tooth Fairy folded his arms and leveled Edgar with a look, but didn't actually say anything.
"Uh...uh, right, just let me..." Edgar turned aside to grab an order form. "Let's just fill this out here...Will this be the standard silver, or a custom order?"
"Definitely a custom order."
"All right..." Edgar checked off one of the boxes. "And what kind of metal would you like? Other options include; copper, iridium, palladium, gold, and platinum."
"Hm..." Tooth Fairy pondered his options. She always wore her gold locket, tarnished and battered as it was. He suspected that it was more out of sentiment than a liking for the metal, but it seemed like a good option. And platinum did look a lot like silver, which was more traditional, and he liked sharing aspects of his culture with her. "Would it be possible to combine two of them?"
"Absolutely. Would you like them mixed into an alloy, or would you prefer a main color and a filigree design?"
"The second one."
"That's fine..." Edgar checked another box, then flipped the page. "Now, here are some designs to look over. Take your time." He was rather interested to see what the Tooth Fairy would pick...and morbidly curious.
"'Kay..." Tooth Fairy took the form and looked at it. He saw several designs he didn't think would work at all, and a few that he liked. The infinity symbol seemed too simple. Interlocking initials? Nah. Cute, but nah. He did like the oak tree design, but he wasn't sure what it meant. And one other stood out to him. It looked like a Celtic design, and he tapped the page. "What's this one?"
"Ah! That's a Celtic wedding knot. Beautiful design. Now, the wedding knot has three different elements: two ovals interwoven with an Eternity knot. Each oval represents husband and wife; those are the first two elements. The Eternity knot represents eternal love. Therefore, the symbol taken as a whole represents the marriage of these three elements."
Tooth Fairy smiled. That was perfect! His eyes went back to the oak tree design. "And this one?"
"The oak tree. The ancient Romans thought oak trees attracted lightning, and they associated the oak tree with Jupiter and his wife, Juno, the goddess of marriage. It's said to represent fidelity and fulfillment. Another good choice."
Tooth Fairy privately wondered if Cupid could confirm any of this, then decided to leave Cupid out of it. "Hmm...Would it be possible to have one design on one side, and the other design on the other, like heads and tails?"
"Oh, yes. A lot of people ask for that." Edgar smiled. "It will increase the price, though."
"That's fine."
"So, you're sure that's what you want, then?"
"Yup."
Edgar made a few notes, then flipped the page back over. "Now for the metals. Do you know what you would like?"
Tooth Fairy nodded. "Platinum background, with gold filigree."
"Mmm..." Edgar nodded and mildly raised his eyebrows as he jotted something down. "And who's the lucky lady?"
This brought Tooth Fairy up short, but he recovered quickly. "I don't wanna jinx things by telling people before I've even proposed, know what I'm sayin'?"
Edgar held up his hands, the pen clasped between his left index and middle fingers. "Just curious. I'll need you to sign at the X, and date it, please."
Tooth Fairy wrote 'Tooth Fairy', hesitated, then wrote 'Roy' in quotation marks. It wasn't necessary, and it was on impulse, but Edgar didn't comment on this. "And when will it be ready?"
"Well, unfortunately, there's a bit of a backlog. Lots of people wanting to do things at the last second. The Solstice is coming up in a couple months, and a lot of hopefuls are doing the same thing you're doing. But it should be ready by then."
"Oh..." Tooth Fairy frowned thoughtfully, then licked his lips and lowered his voice. "Um..I don't wanna jump the line, so I won't ask to be put further up on the list, but what are the odds that it will be done by then?"
Edgar smiled. "Not to worry. You'll have it on time."
The Minter quoted a price, and it was a steep one, but Tooth Fairy nodded and handed over his debit card. After processing the sale, Edgar gave him a copy of the invoice. "All right, you're all set! We'll contact you when it's ready. Congratulations, and good luck!"
"Thanks!" Tooth Fairy grinned and walked out, ready for a shower and a nap.
Edgar turned to another one of the Minters, who had been working the other end of the counter and seemed to be battling with a slow computer system. "Hey, Chauncey! Double or nothing, it's the Werewolf."
"Yeah, probably. I've never seen him out with a girl, and this past year he's hardly been seen at all." Chauncey didn't seem to have much of an opinion on this.
"So, what do you think?"
"About him maybe being with the Werewolf?" Chauncey shrugged. "None of my business. I just make the coins."
"Mm...I think he's jumping the gun. If she says no, he's out a lot of money. And if she says yes...well...not everyone's as understanding as they could be." Edgar seemed to be relishing this new bit of gossip.
"Pretty sure he's fully aware. Look, Edgar, are you going to finish weighing those ingots for me, or are you just waxing the counter with your butt for fun?"
Edgar rolled his eyes. "I'm just sayin'.