Page 85 of This Pack of Ours

He moved his head a little, but I didn’t know what that meant.

“Kit…” I swallowed again. What the fuck was I supposed to say? “I like you,” I managed.

His head bobbed up and his dark eyes met mine, eyebrows raised. He actually looked a little scared.

“I’ve been a total dick,” I tried again. “I’m sorry for not giving you a chance from the start. Fuck, if you hate me, I probably deserve it—” I cut off, because I didn’t know what I would do if he actually hated me.

“You don’t have to say that,” he said, not meeting my eyes.

“It’s true,” I said and he shook his head.

“No, it’s not,” he whispered, “It’s okay, I know. I don’t have anything to offer you guys except this.”

He gestured vaguely at his body and swallowed. “I’m not like Juniper. I always mess things up, other people have to always pick up the slack because I’m so stupid and such a burden. So you can go back to not liking me, cuz you said you’d bond me anyway…”

“What the fuck?” I stiffened. “Kit, you don’tbelievethat bullshit, do you?”

“S’true,” he said with a sniff.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” I snapped, and his watery eyes met my glare. “Kit, I’ve been so fucking jealous of you, because ofyou. How much you do for everyone, even when you’re fucking terrified. Do you think any of us could have stopped Juniper from losing her shit on those GPRE fucks today? That’s not useless, that’s a fucking miracle. You helped her with her work even though you were stressed as fuck because that’syou.” I tilted his chin up to make sure he was looking at me.

“We need you, Kit. We need you to stay with us, to ground us, to remind us there's still something good in this world worth protecting. To keep giving assholes like me a chance to do better. And I don’t know all the other reasons yet, but I know they’re there and I’m going to fucking find them, and tell you those too, even if I have to pin you down like this so you listen.”

Kit blinked at me, shocked.

“I didn’t know you could talk for that long,” he said, finally, and I growled again.

“Little fucker.” I reached down and stroked his face. “So you believe me, then? That I like you?”

“Yeah, okay,” he said, bowing his head to rest on my chest again, his fingers coming up to play with my hair.

“No, Kit, say ‘I believe you, Vander.’.”

He gave a little snort, but his eyes met mine again, looking a little hopeful.

“I believe you, Vander,” he repeated, blushing a bit.

“And say, I’m too good for you, Vander.”

He hesitated on that one, and I glared again, before he repeated it in his soft voice.

“Good.” I shifted us so I could flip down on the bed next to him. I knew I didn’t deserve it, but I pulled him into a hug. He was looking at me nervously again, but a little happier.

“Thanks for being there for Juni,” he said. “I still need to get you a present for that. With the park, and my grandmother, and with the GPRE. And for getting her through the aftermath.”

His dark eyes met mine, and he gave a little contented sigh that made my heart flip.

“I think you’re really good for her,” he said, “I get her, mostly. But you’re both, um, fierce.”

I snorted.

“You mean we’re both angry fucks,” I corrected.

He hummed in amusement.

“I wouldn’t mind seeing you guys angry fuck,” he said, his face splitting into a grin.

“I bet you wouldn’t, you little pervert,” I growled, ruffling his hair. “I blame Ez completely for this scent match, you know. You’ve both got the same filthy mind under your innocent-looking facade.”

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