Page 143 of Falling in Love with A Tiny Bat

Alexios sighs, rubbing his wrist. “Probably. Because that’s the kind of people they are. Even though Castor’s threats largely only affect you, because you affect me and Kass, and Kass and I affect Pollux, and Pollux affects Cael, and Cael affects everyone else…they are all rising to the occasion. Because of a thread, of a thread, of a thread of love, they are stepping up to help.” He bumps his shoulder into mine. “I told everyone earlier, didn’t I? Castor needs someone he can trust and lean on. Someone in his corner. For all his years of existence, he has the emotional maturity of a child, testing a parent on their love.”

“So? You aren’t his parent. You’re literally one year old today, so why do you have to be the one to step in here, risking everything for someone you haven’t even known for a full year?”

He laughs, setting his phone aside and kneeling on the floor in front of me to cup my cheek. “Because, angel, love doesn’t need a year. It takes the moment you can clearly see the beauty in someone’s soul. I am in a unique position where such things are more transparent to me than they are to others. Loving someone is nowhere near as hard for me as being loved is.” His thumb traces my jaw as he stands on his knees, leaning close and framing my face in his hands. He murmurs, “Also, I might only be a year in existence, but I amnota child.”

My breath catches.

“When are you going to tell me?” he whispers.

Voice strained, I ask, “When am I going to tell youwhat?”

“That you love me?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“I can taste it on your breath, angel.” His hands slip, bothnow bare, toward my neck as he settles his forehead against mine. “You’ve been toying with the idea for a while now.”

I tense. “This isn’t fair. I have no idea what you’re feeling even though you see everything inside me so clearly.”

“Give me your humanity, and I’ll give you my power, my everything. Then, it will be more than fair.”

“What a tempting offer.”

“How could I make it more alluring?”

My fingers latch around his tie. “I don’t know. What could you really hope to offer beyondeverything?”

“For you, anything.”

“What is Castor’s goal with all of this?”

Alexios sighs. “If I knew the details of that, I would not be trusting him in any part, now would I?”

I suppose not.

Do I care?

Absolutely not.

And, yet, the fae can only say the things that they believe. And Castor has said some things to me that lead me to believe in him, at least a little bit.

Pain is never an excuse to hurt someone.

But if I let myself empathize with the feelings of neglect, hopelessness, and longing, what didn’t I try when I was a child to earn love?

It can take time—and people like Alexios—to teach someone thatloveis never something weearn.

It is the first gift given.

The one we are implored to accept and embrace and behold in every avenue of our lives.

Even when it’s hard, or scary, or we have our doubts. Sometimes, for some things that look too big or bleak to handle on our own, we have to give up control to God.

“If…I give up my humanity, Xios, we really need to find astory faerie willing to be my friend. I don’t know how long I’ll survive being less funny than my full potential.”

He chuckles. “I think you’ll do well.”

“My sarcasm won’t make it, I fear.”

---