A/N: SORRY it's taken me so long to post! Life's been crazy and I've got a lot of other (non fanfic) writing projects in the works. I'll try to be better in future. But...might be another few weeks before next update. Thanks to anyone who's sticking around and hasn't given up on me!
UPDATE 6/4/18 - Tweaked the last scene in the chapter a bit. I didn't bother editing it before posting and it was starting to bother me.
Chapter Nine
Later, after I'd had a chance to piece everything together, I figured out that right around the time Tad and I were kissing in the middle of a giant silverware tornado, my dad, Mercy, and Aiden were running for their lives from an invisible fae-monster.
Maybe it was weird that I'd been making out while my loved ones were in mortal peril. But I think it was completely reasonable to want a distraction under those circumstances. And Tad...well, Tad wasn't just a distraction.
As I stood there with my face buried in his chest - for the second time that night - I noticed the apartment felt unusually silent. It wasn't just that the music had stopped.
I realized that Zee's snoring had ceased about two seconds before the bedroom door flew open. Tad and I jerked apart.
"Keeping busy, lieblings?" Zee said, surveying the silverware scattered all over the floor.
"Um - we were just - " I attempted, my cheeks suddenly flaming.
"I was just practicing," Tad said. With a casual wave of his arm, he sent all the silverware flying back into the box. The pieces all landed neatly in their designated slots.
I probably should have been impressed, but mostly I felt annoyed that Tad was capable of casting magic when I wasn't even capable of stringing a whole sentence together.
"Show-off," I muttered. Tad just grinned.
"I hope you saved me something to eat," Zee said, heading toward the kitchen.
I felt awkward standing there in the middle of the room, so I followed Zee to the kitchen and got myself a glass of water, just for something to do. I leaned against the counter while Zee rummaged through the fridge, and tried to think of something to say.
Tad followed, leaning against the counter next to me. I almost wished he'd chosen to stand somewhere else. Not because I didn't want him next to me, but because having him so close made it difficult for me to think about anything other than the distance between us. And how badly I wanted to close the gap.
"Did you, um, have a good nap?" I asked Zee.
Zee gave a noncommittal grunt. "No annoying dreams from Underhill. That's good enough for me."
Right. Because Underhill had been sending dreams to all the fae, trying to get them to capture Aiden. Apparently now that Underhill had Aiden back, the dreams had ceased. I figured this was a good thing for the fae in general, but I didn't know what it would mean for Aiden.
"Zee...you've been to Underhill, right?" I said slowly. "I mean, you lived there once, didn't you?"
I felt Tad stiffen next to me, and wondered if I'd crossed a line.
But Zee just nodded. "Ja. Once upon a time."
"What if...I mean, do you think..." I began.
"Spit it out, liebling."
"Do you think Underhill will actually let them go?" I blurted out. "I know Mercy has the walking stick to guide them out. But Underhill wants Aiden. So even if they do make their way to an exit, Underhill could still...I don't know...try to keep them there, couldn't she?"
I could feel Tad's gaze on me, but I kept my focus on Zee.
"She could," Zee agreed. "I think she will try to keep them all three of them, if she can. But, Jesse," he said, looking me straight in the eye, "there is no one I would trust to get back out of Underhill more than Mercy."
I bit my lip and nodded. Zee had a point there. Mercy might have a talent for getting into trouble, but she had an equally strong knack for getting out of it again.
Zee finished assembling his plate of food and carried it over to the kitchen table. Tad reached over and gave my hand a quick squeeze. Even that contact sent a strange flush running up my arm.
I didn't know how to navigate any of this with Zee in the room. Actually, I wasn't sure I knew how to navigate this without Zee in the room. But at least if Zee hadn't been in the room, I could've buried my face in Tad's chest again to hide my confusion.
As it was, I decided to join Zee at the table. He was digging into some strange purple substance that Tad had definitely not pulled out of the fridge for us to enjoy.
"I still can't believe Aiden volunteered to go back," I said. Nothing I'd learned about Underhill made it sound like a place I'd want to revisit. Or visit, period. "Maybe I shouldn't be surprised, though," I went on. "After all, he saved my life during the attack on the house. Now he's saving everybody from a war with the fae, and they don't even know it." I hesitated, because I couldn't believe I was about to say this next bit. But it would've been chicken of me not to, so I blurted out, "I'm glad you brought him to us. I'm glad the pack's protecting him."
Zee just nodded. But Tad gave me a look of mingled relief and gratitude that somehow made my cheeks flush. "I'm glad, Jesse," he said quietly.
"Yeah. Well," I said, clearing my throat. "He still needs a primer on how to treat women if he's going to rejoin modern society."
"Oh, trust me. We're working on that."
"Good."
"You know...you should tell him all this yourself," Tad said. "It would mean a lot to him to hear it coming from you."
My eyebrows shot up in surprise. "It would?"
Tad frowned. "Of course. Aiden knows he needs to earn your trust, especially after the way things started with you two. And...well...he's been trying."
I had to admit there'd been a change in Aiden ever since the night of the fae attack. Although I'd mostly been attributing that to me no longer giving him the cold shoulder. "I guess I can see that," I admitted.
Something else occurred to me then, too.
If it weren't for Aiden, Tad and Zee would never have escaped from the Gray Lords. Which meant Tad and Aiden wouldn't have shown up in time to help the pack defeat the bridge troll. And then Mercy wouldn't have made her protection proclamation on the bridge. Which meant Zee, Tad, and Aiden would never have to come live with us.
Basically, everything that happened over the couple weeks was made possible by Kid Groper. Including whatever was going on with me and Tad.
I locked eyes with Tad across the table and couldn't help wondering: how had I gone from hating Aiden to owing him everything?
"Wait, wait, wait. So that was it?" Izzy said. "You didn't get to finish your date?"
"Nnnnope," I said, popping a French fry in my mouth. It was Friday, and Izzy and I were rehashing the last two days over lunch. "I mean, what were we gonna do? Tell Zee he needed to take another nap so we could get back to snogging?"
Izzy gave a snort of amusement. "Fair enough. So what'd you do for the rest of the night?"
"Just...waited." In agony. Sitting next to Tad, wondering if it would be weird to reach out and take his hand in front of Zee. (I didn't.)
Luckily, Zee distracted us by teaching us a long, complicated game of cards that somehow took five minutes to explain but freaking forever to play. We were still in the middle of a game when Uncle Mike burst in to inform us that my dad, Mercy, and Aiden had made it back from Underhill. Miraculously alive, and all in one piece.
"Longest. Freaking. Night. Of my life," I declared, and Izzy gave a little hum of sympathy.
"Welp, it's official," she said. "You are having the absolute most ridiculous month of anybody I've ever met. Including Mercy."
"Um, I'm pretty sure Mercy and I are having the same month."
"Nope," Izzy said. "Mercy may have gone on a wacky near-death adventure through Underhill, but you had to sit there and wait for her to return from a wacky near-death adventure. That is way more nerve-wracking."
"Well, I can't argue that."
"Also, you managed to go on a date while you were waiting. Who does that? Only you. Only you would do that."
I shrugged, trying to look nonchalant, but I couldn't keep a smile from quirking my lips. "Well, I had to do something to keep myself from going crazy."
"See? Way more ridiculous."
"If you say so," I said, but I was full-on grinning now. "Honestly, I'm just glad it's all over."
"Me, too," Izzy agreed. "Now we can move on to REALLY the important stuff. When are you and Tad going out again?"
"Um," I said. I strategically took a bite of my chicken sandwich so I wouldn't have to say any more.
"Whaaaat?" Izzy said, reading between the lines. "You mean he hasn't asked you out yet?"
"Iff oh-nee been a day," I said, around my bite of chicken sandwich.
"You live in the same house!" Izzy protested. "It's not like he has the excuse of not seeing you."
"Actually...I haven't seen him since Wednesday night," I admitted.
This was due to all of us staying up half the night on Wednesday listening to my dad, Mercy, and Aiden recount their daring adventures. At approximately three am, I'd made my dad promise to call in sick for me at school, and then I'd crashed. Hard.
When I'd finally woken up mid-afternoon on Thursday, I'd spent a long time just lying in bed, thinking over the past few weeks. I couldn't wrap my mind around the idea that we didn't have to worry about the fae anymore. Or that I didn't have to feel guilty thinking about Tad when there were other, way more life-and-death issues on the table.
And then, of course, as soon as I thought of Tad, all I wanted to do was lie there and relive our date. There were a lot of highlights: the two of us poking around the kitchen and assembling supplies for dinner; Tad demonstrating his powers; the way he'd looked at me as he'd parted the silverware tornado, so he could come close and kiss me. I thought about that until I felt like I was melting into a silly little girl-puddle on my bed.
I stayed burrowed under the covers until I was sure I wouldn't make an idiot out of myself when I ran into Tad downstairs.
Which turned out to be a moot point, because when I got up, Tad wasn't even there. He was gone for most of the day, and he hadn't come back until after dinner. At which point I'd been inconveniently sequestered in my room, doing all the homework that had accumulated over the last two days.
"Boooo," Izzy said. "Didn't he at least text you? Or knock on your door and say hi?"
"I don't think he's much of a text-er," I said, even though I wasn't sure that this was true. "Plus, I think my dad put the fear in him about visiting me in my room."
"Excuses, excuses," Izzy said grumpily. "He'd better get his butt in gear. You've had more than enough suspense lately. You don't need it in the romance department, too."
The bell rang, and we gathered up our stuff. As I stood, I realized the little alert light on my phone was flashing. I had a text. From Tad!
"Oho!" Izzy said, seeing my expression. "Speak of the devil?"
I held out the phone so she could see. U, me, walk in the woods later?
"Yasssss!" Izzy said. "Negative points for waiting so long. But positive points for good timing."
I tried to ignore the soaring sensation in my chest as I sent back a smiley emoji, followed by C u later.
After that, the school day went, like, a million times faster.
You'd think it would have been the opposite. That I'd be so impatient to see Tad that time felt like it was moving in slow motion. But somehow just knowing I was going to see Tad later put me in such a good mood I didn't mind waiting. In fact, I didn't mind much of anything at all.
Quiz in English class? No problem. Lab in Physics? Crushed it. Conversation practice in Spanish? iEstoy la reina de los conversaciones!
When school let out, I practically skipped to my locker, bouncing on the balls of my feet as I shoved my books into my backpack, then chatted gleefully with Izzy the whole way home. She was allowed to give me rides, now that fae were no longer actively trying to kidnap and/or murder anyone in my household.
When we pulled to a stop in front of my house, Izzy pointed a finger at me and said, "Call me later. Tell me everything."
"Thanks for the ride, Iz."
"I mean it!" Izzy called after me as I shut the door. I waved good-bye, then turned and forced myself to walk into the house like a normal person. As opposed to running inside and yelling, "Tad, I'm hoooome!" like a total moron.
It was probably a good thing I'd restrained myself, since I passed Warren, Darryl, and Ben on my way up to my room. I definitely did not need to announce to the pack that something was going on between me and Tad. I mean, there was a 99.9% chance the entire pack already knew, because stupid werewolf senses, but still. I didn't need to out myself before the whole thing became official.
Assuming it was going to become official. I mean, it probably was. But I didn't want to jinx it or anything.
When I got to my room, I dumped my backpack by my desk and spent a few minutes fussing over my appearance before bounding back downstairs to find Tad. I expected him to be hanging out in the basement with Aiden.
Instead, I nearly ran into him on the first-floor landing.
"Hey!" I said, grabbing the banister to pull myself to a halt. "I was just coming to find you."
"Same," Tad said.
Grinning. Like. Idiots.
Tad's gaze roamed over me like he hadn't seen me for days. Well, I guess he hadn't.
A part of me wanted to fling myself at him, but that seemed dangerous considering we were currently on the stairs. So I kept my grip on the banister and said, "Walk?"
"Yep," he agreed, and gestured for me to go down the stairs ahead of him.
I grabbed my coat and bundled up as we stepped out into the cool, bright afternoon. The backyard smelled like spring rain and new turf. The lawn had been so chewed up by the fae attack we'd bought a bunch of those rolls of pre-grown grass for landscaping purposes. We'd also gotten rid of the all boulders, except the one we used for star-gazing.
Even the back wall of the house was looking pretty good. You almost couldn't tell how much of the siding had recently been replaced. Except the windows were so brand-spankin'-new some of them still had stickers in the panes.
"Almost looks back to normal," Tad observed.
"Yeah," I agreed. "Or as close to normal as anything ever gets around here." I tipped my head back, looking up at the puffy white clouds rolling across the afternoon sky and let out a deep breath. "I'm so glad it's over. A part of me can't believe it. I keep half-expecting something else to come up."
"Like what?"
"I don't know." I shrugged. "Like...maybe there's something else the Gray Lords want. Or Underhill might decide Aiden visiting every once in a while isn't enough, or...I don't know. I just feel like I won't really be able to rest easy until the treaty is all signed and official."
"I know what you mean," Tad said. "But I think we've got this one, Jesse. The treaty'll come through."
"Yeah," I said, as we stepped onto the path and entered the woods. "I just wish-" I cut myself off, wondering if it was stupid to say out loud.
"What?" Tad said.
I hesitated, but something about entering the woods made it feel as though we were completely alone, even though we weren't really that far from the house. So I let the words tumble out. "I just wish I knew. You know? Like...is this it? Is this the last time our lives are gonna be turned completely upside down by something crazy and supernatural? And I know the answer is no. I know there's going to be something else down the road. Especially now that Mercy made the whole public vow of protection and everything...
"Which is a good thing," I went on. "Obviously I want us to help people, if we can. But the more people who come to us, the more dangerous it's gonna be. And I feel like you only get so much luck. Sooner or later, our luck's gonna run out. The pack will come up against something they can't beat, and - "
"Whoa. Hey. Jesse." Tad stopped, turning to face me, and put his hands on my shoulders. The weight of them was reassuring and thwomp-inducing, all at once.
"Sorry," I said reflexively. "I just..."
"I know," Tad said, and that spark of understanding passed between us again. He really did know. Maybe even more than I did. I'd worried a lot lately about losing my parents - but Tad had already lost one of his. He gave my shoulders a gently squeeze. "But it's not just luck you guys have, Jesse. Whatever happens, you won't have to face it alone. There are people who will fight for the pack. And I don't just mean me and dad."
I nodded. "I know. It's just...this last time was really hard. First the bridge, then the attack on the house, then the whole excursion to Underhill..." I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, feeling suddenly shaky. "Everything hit so close to home this time. Literally. And maybe that means if we can get through this, we can get through anything. But also, maybe next time...someone won't show up in the nick of time. You know?"
Tad's had a pained look on his face. "Come here," he said. He pulled me close and dropped a kiss on top of my head before wrapping his arms around me. "Jesse, nothing's gonna happen to you if I can help it," he murmured, rubbing one hand gently up and down my back.
One second I was jumbled with emotion, and the next second I was wrapped up in Tad - who was warm, sturdy, and smelling ridiculously good in a way that was super distracting - and suddenly everything that had felt upsetting and potentially full of doom didn't seem all that dire anymore.
I burrowed into him, and he tucked my head under his chin. "If it were up to me, you'd never have to go through this again," he said. "I'd track down anyone who even thought of messing with you and kick the crap out of them."
"Actually...I'm pretty sure you could do that," I said, turning my head so my voice wasn't all muffled against his chest. "Case in point: lava monster."
I felt Tad's laugh vibrate through his chest. "That's not exactly what I meant, but I'll take it." He gave me a squeeze and let me go.
"I'm not going to keep being a total downer every time we hang out," I said, looking up at him. "I promise."
Tad just shook his head. "In no universe are you a total downer, Jesse."
"Hmm. Not even a reverse universe, where everything's the opposite of this one?"
"Well, if we were in a reverse universe, then I'd be a total downer with you," he pointed out.
"Fair enough," I said.
We turned and kept walking, deeper into the woods. Before long, we came across the fallen log blocking the path. Tad jumped up and offered his hand. This time I took it, pulling myself up next to him, and when we both jumped down the other side, Tad didn't let go.
Instead, he laced his fingers through mine, and because I'm apparently a walking ball of hormones whenever I'm around Tad, it felt like there were miniature fireworks going off under my skin.
I cleared my throat. "So, uh...what's new with you? You, since two days ago."
"Ah," Tad said. "Well...I've been job hunting."
"Job hunting?" I echoed. Of all the things I expected him to say, that really wasn't one of them.
"Yeah. See, there's this girl who's pretty great, and I've been promising to take her on a date. A real date. But funds are a little short, so...job hunting."
"I see," I said, attempting to sound like this wasn't making the internal fireworks show light up literally everywhere inside of me. "Any luck?"
"Oh, yes. Lots of opportunities for enterprising young people out there, if you know where to look. I got a gig right away."
"Just like that?" I said dubiously. "Don't tell me you joined the faerie mafia or something."
"Oh, no. Much worse. Hot dogs."
"Hot dogs?"
"Yep. You're looking at a bona fide hot dog salesman. And by salesman, I mean I agreed to stand on a street corner wearing a hot dog suit and waving a sign."
"You. Did. Not."
"Ohhh, but I did. Easily the grossest money I ever made. That suit must have been filled with the sweat of a thousand martyrs, their dignity sacrificed on the altar of unforgiving bratwurst."
"That's disgusting," I said, but I was laughing. "Should I be touching you right now?"
"Don't worry. I showered at least a thousand times to make up for it. But the memory will haunt me forever."
"Poor Tad," I said. "That sounds like a fate worthy of ISTDBPF."
"Don't even think it!" Tad said with mock horror. "You'll give the game developers ideas."
I laughed again. "Well, I'm honored. Does this mean we get to go on a real date now?"
Tad cleared his throat suddenly. "Well, that depends," he said.
"On what?"
"On how you react."
"To...the sight of you in a hot dog costume?" I said slowly.
"Nope. Let's, um...let's sit." He dragged me off the path, to a large, mossy tree stump. We sat, our hands still intertwined.
"Tad, what's going on? You're kinda freaking me out."
"Nope. No need to freak out. I, uh - I just wanted to tell you, before you found out from somebody else. I mean, in case you found out from somebody else. Which you shouldn't. Nobody should know. But you know the pack, they're terrible at keeping secrets, and-"
I gave his hand a hard squeeze. "Tad, seriously, just spit it out."
"I asked your dad."
"You asked my dad?" I echoed, totally bemused. "Asked him what?"
Just as my brain was starting to piece together what sort of thing a guy might ask my dad for in regards to me, Tad said, "I asked him if I could take you out on a date."
I blinked. I opened my mouth to say something. Closed it again. For as hyped up as my brain had been before, now it felt like it had come to a dead stop.
"I know I didn't need to," Tad said, looking more nervous than I'd ever seen him. "And-I didn't actually mean to. I just thought it would be a good idea to talk to him. Because, you know, there's something going on between us, and -"
"What did you tell him about us?" I interrupted, feeling equal parts curious and annoyed.
"Nothing! That is...nothing specific about what's gone one." He scratched the back of his head nervously. "I just...after the conversation you had with Mercy, I thought it would be a good idea to come clean about my intentions."
"Your intentions?" I said, my eyebrows raising. "And what exactly are those?"
"To take you on a date!" Tad burst out, a flush of red creeping up his neck. "Your dad already knows something's going on with us. I just figured he'd appreciate it if I came to him and told him straight-out, you know?"
I had some very strong opinions about that logic, but I decided to keep them to myself. For now. "So what happened?" I said coolly.
"Mercy was there!" Tad said, agitated. "And I, like an idiot, thought it would be no big deal if she was there while I told him. I thought your dad was going to be the hardass! I mean, sure, he looked me in the eye and told me if anything happened to you he would gladly rip me limb from limb without a second thought. But that was no big deal, I was expecting that - "
"What did you say back?" I said curiously.
"Oh. Well." Tad cleared his throat, looking anywhere but at me. "That was pretty easy. I told him if I ever let anything happen to you...I'd let him."
"Oh," I said, my cheeks suddenly burning.
"That would always have been the case, Jesse," Tad said, running his thumb over the back of my hand. "Even if we weren't..."
"Even if we weren't what?"
Tad cleared his throat again. "The point is that your dad said he appreciated me telling him. But Mercy said you were totally going to kill me when you found out."
"Well, she wasn't completely wrong," I said, squeezing Tad's hand in annoyance.
"I was just trying to do the right thing!" Tad burst out. He ran his free hand through his hair in agitation. "I thought I would just tell your dad straight what was going on and that would be it. But Mercy stopped me before I could leave, and she - she interrogated me." Tad looked even more harrowed than he had when he'd been describing the hot dog costume. "I felt like I was being interviewed for one of those stupid reality dating shows. Except by someone who knows me really well and was clearly just doing it to troll me. Like a jerk," he grumbled. "And I might not have minded, except your dad was sitting there the whole time, staring me down like if I said one wrong thing he'd tear me limb from limb right then and there."
"Poor Tad," I said again. It was really impossible to stay mad at him when he was in this state. All my annoyance had evaporated, and had been replaced by amusement that was getting harder and harder to tamp down.
"And the worst part was that the longer Mercy went on, the more your dad looked like he was trying not to laugh!" Tad glanced over at me and narrowed his eyes at me. "Kind of like the way you look right now."
"Who, me?" I said, doing my best impression of innocence.
"It's not funny. It was extremely traumatic!"
"Poor baby," I said, without much sympathy.
Tad had only been halfway joking. "Between Mercy and the hot dog suit, these last two days have been a doozy. I was kind of glad you were at school the whole day. I needed time to recover."
"Just imagine: if only you'd thought to ask me first, we could've had that conversation with my dad together."
"I'll be honest. I actually didn't think of that."
"Clearly," I said dryly, but I leaned over and rested my head on his shoulder to let him know I wasn't really mad. With what sounded like a sigh of relief, Tad slipped his arm around my shoulders, and I scooted closer, until I was snug in the curve of his arm.
"You know...now that you mention it, I kind of like the sound of that."
"What?"
Tad hesitated. "On second thought, maybe I shouldn't say it. It's pretty cheesy."
"I like cheese. Gouda, parmesan, cheddar...you name it."
Tad gave a quiet snort of amusement. "All right. Well, I was gonna say...together. I like the sound of that."
The world's goofiest smile burst onto my face before I could stop it. But Tad couldn't really see my face right now, so I didn't feel too embarrassed about it. "You're right, that is some serious cheese. But, like, the best kind of cheese."
"Grilled cheese?" Tad suggested.
"Yessss! With bacon."
"Bacon? Pssh. Do not sully my grilled cheese with your meat fat."
"Meat fat? Excuse you, bacon is delicious. It's the candy of meats!"
"Yes, and like all candy, it should be eaten on its own."
"Heathen," I told him.
"Hipster."
I gasped. "How dare thee! I am nothing if not bougie!"
"Thee?" Tad said, laughing.
I shrugged. "It was the bougie-est thing I could think of."
I could feel Tad's laughter rumbling through his chest again. It was a truly excellent sensation.
We sat there in silence for a while, in our own little world in the middle of the forest. Eventually I said, "You know, for the record...I like the sound of it too."
Tad squeezed my shoulders, pressing a kiss to my temple. There was something so sweet about those little gestures. Almost sweeter than when we actually kissed.
We were silent for a few more minutes, and then I said, "So, Tad?"
"Hm?"
"Are you ever gonna ask me on that date?"