Page 133 of Falling in Love with A Tiny Bat

Would I be able to stomach staying cooped up with just Alexios and Ash in my house for weeks? No LARPing. No Costco runs. No Castor visits. No faerie dates, or dinners at Ollie’s, or movie nights.

Just me, and Alexios, and Ash. Going stir-crazy.

Would we hate each other before long? Or would our pranks and banter grow more delirious by the hour, leaving us in periodic fits of laughter that get us by?

Realistically, the question isn’t about whether one person would be enough in an empty room until the end of time. Anyone sayingyesto that should probably talk to a therapist about severe co-dependency.

Realistically, whenever life crashes down around me, will Alexios be the one I go to? Will I trust him to help me pick up the pieces?

Haven’t I already placed an obscene amount of trust in him?

I thanked him. I trusted he wouldn’t take what I said to mean I was trusting himwithmy soul, and I thanked him.

Despite his odd personality, he’s genuinely kind. Selfless, honestly.

For a creature whose definition istake, he seems to have done nothing but give.

Hence, he more than deserves a lovely little birthday bash tocelebrate his existence. Because even thoughexistinghas been really hard for him…I know I’m really, really glad he’s continued to participate in it.

The front door opens, and my heart skips an unwelcome beat before Alana’s voice reaches my ears. “Cael, you made it in time! What’s the verdict with Sephin?”

As I abandon the snack assortment with Pila in favor of heading to the living room, Cael sighs. “Forgive me, moondrop. The best response I could get out of him wasI’ll get there if I get there.”

Fully garbed in her fae form, Alana’s black moth wings flit as her antennae droop. “Well, that does sound like Sephin.”

Pollux, Kassandra, and Andromeda arrive next, which I’m not saying makes my heart skip another beat, but it might. The rhythm doesn’t settle when Pollux’s gaze lands on me, heavy and darkening.

After three seconds of feeling like an inexplicable disappointment, I gather up my aptitude fornot caring what people thinkand smile—just in time for Andromeda to beeline for me.

“Zahr-Zahr!” she cheers, arms flying around my waist.

I squeeze her tight. “Greetings, small fry.”

Sniffing, she declares, “I can hardly believe my little brother is turning one.”

“Soon he’ll be leaving us all behind, heading off to college, getting a whole career…” I muse, forlorn.

Alana places a hand on her heart and wipes a fake tear off her cheek. “I recall the trauma of his birth like it was in the past…”

My brow arches. “Can’t sayyesterday?”

She beams. “I have a deplorable memory.”

Truly, we stan a relatable faerie princess.

“What in the—” Alexios swears, suddenly behind me, and my spine straightens. “—is this?”

At differing levels of enthusiasm, and with varying amounts of cohesion, everyone says, “Surprise!”

Alexios flinches, eye twitching.

“Happy birthday, Yama-nii-nii!” Andromeda releases me to throw her arms out again and charge.

Alexios catches her forehead, holding her at arm’s length. “The fae donot…” His thundering gaze fixes on me, and his words shrivel up.

Watching someone’s will to finish what they were saying evacuate their eyes shouldn’t be as seductive as I think it is…

Looking elsewhere, Alexios allows his sister to collide with his body. “How dare all of you hold me in such high regard. What a nightmare it is to know that, should the burden of prolonging this mortal coil become unbearable, I would leave so many scars behind. It quite nearly makes thinking of abandoning you impossible.”

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