Page 90 of Falling in Love with A Tiny Bat

I dig my heels into Alexios’s thigh, nudging him even closer. “You don’t seem convinced.”

He looks at me. “I believe you. I simply lack all context that allows any of this to make sense.”

“I take it Alana was never much of a gamer and you received sub-zero generational information on the topic?”

“Her parents were very strict. Gaming consoles weren’t allowed in the household and computer time was limited, so she used all of it to watch anime.”

I tut and tsk. “Such a shame her parents didn’t believe in a well-rounded education. Smash Bros. is a good place to start with you. It introduces the legends. We’ll go through their stories at leisure until you aren’t a disappointment anymore.”

Alexios smirks when I lose a character to the next boss. “I’mthe disappointment?”

“Funny man acting like he wants to sleep outside…” I mutter, stuffing more chips in my mouth when the next character selection screen appears.

Exhaling a laugh, Alexios sets his hand on my thigh.

My stomach leaps.

Absently, his thumb moves. “Do I get to pick where to start with thiseducation, because the pink blob has captured my affections.”

I blink myself back into the moment. “The pink blob? Are you talking aboutKirby?”

“That is the name I recall appearing on screen, yes.” His attention turns toward me.

My heart struggles. “Yeah, we can start with Kirby. Kirby’s great.”

Alexios smiles, then he smooths his touch up to my knee, and that smile of his heats until I’m aware that he’s aware what he’s doing.

But.

Of course he is.

He can taste my emotions.

“Snowflake…?”

“What?” I mumble into what is swiftly becoming my emotional-support bag of chips.

“Are you well?”

I’m notscared, if that’s what he means. Right now, with my legs thrown on top of him, I have an illusion of control. The illusion doesn’t translate inside my chest, where my heart’s frantic beats border on manic, but I’ll take what I can get. “I’m…fine,” I whisper, reminding myself that Iwantthis.

Whateverthisis.

The nearness, maybe.

The connection, possibly.

A touch that…that doesn’t hurt or take. A touch as innocent and warm and loving as the hugs I get from my beans at school.

Except, preferably, less sticky.

Hugs are science. Touch is healing. The mutation I suffer from on account of what touch once was for me can be fixed. I hope. I’ve prayed.

What if…

What if Alexios isn’t another trial I need to overcome?

What if he’s another answer to a prayer I’ve almost given up on?

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