Page 24 of Winds of Death
“It’s fine. I’m okay.” Fieran sat back to lean heavily against the bench. He closed his eyes as he let his head drop onto the bench. “Sorry. I wanted this to be a lot more romantic”
“You’re still healing.” Pip claimed one of his hands again, threading her fingers with his. “And I thought that was plenty romantic.”
“Good.” He tilted his head to look at her, and his eyes had a look to them that she’d never seen before. He was so somber. So lacking in any trace of his usual mischief and humor. “May I court you? For real? No hiding. No sneaking. Just you and me building a relationship the right way.”
She opened her mouth, tried to speak, closed her mouth, and swallowed. “Yes.” The word came out such a squeaky croak that she sucked in a breath and tried again. “Yes!”
Mindful of his injuries this time, she steadied herself with the bench as she kissed Fieran.
But she kept the kiss short. All she’d needed in these past few days was the reassurance that she and Fieran were good, and she had that now. It was time to look after Fieran.
Pushing to her feet, Pip tugged on Fieran’s hand. “Come on. You need to head home and go back to bed. You clearly shouldn’t be up this long yet.”
Fieran huffed a breath that was somewhere between a laugh and a groan. Even with him using the bench to lever himself upright, Pip still had to brace herself to haul him to his feet.
Once he was upright, he leaned heavily on her. “I know I just asked to court you less than a minute ago, but my mama is here and waiting to meet you. And since we aren’t hiding anything, we’re going to have to tell Louise.”
Only courting for a minute, and she was already going to meet his family.
Yet she wasn’t afraid. Or at least, not in the way she would’ve expected. She wanted to meet his mama and hug Louise asFieran’s girlfriend and not just a random mechanic who needed a place to stay.
“I’d love to meet your mama.” Pip wrapped an arm around Fieran’s waist, the better to keep him upright as they shuffled along the path around the greenhouse. “Besides, I already met your dacha. Meeting your mama can’t be any more terrifying than that.”
Fieran triedhis best not to lean too heavily on Pip or betray just how much pain he was in, even with the healing magic coursing through him.
But pushing himself had been worth it. He and Pip had needed that conversation. He’d needed to undo some of the mistakes he’d made with her. Fix some of the damage he’d done with his selfishness. Finish that kiss, even if he’d interrupted it again.
More than that, Pip had said yes. She was officially his girlfriend.
He would have shouted it from the rooftops…if he hadn’t been about to keel over.
The lift ride to the ground floor and the walk from one warehouse to the other had never felt so long. By the time they reached the fuselage where he’d found Pip, he was clenching his teeth and trying not to let his breathing turn into ragged panting.
Mama was standing next to the fuselage, quietly chatting with Louise and Bennett. As Fieran and Pip approached, all three of them turned in their direction.
Fieran kept his arm around Pip’s shoulders, hoping it looked more like a romantic embrace than that she was holding himupright. “Pip, I’d like you to meet my mama. Mama, this is Pip. My girlfriend.” He could feel his grin widen as he said it.
Louise squealed and bounced on her toes. Bennett’s eyes widened, more bewildered than anything, and he muttered something before he hurried away.
Mama stepped forward with that graceful ease of hers. As Fieran withdrew his arm, Mama gave Pip a quick hug. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”
“And to meet you. Fieran has told me a lot about all of you.” Pip smiled as she returned the hug.
“He finally made everything official!” Louise grinned and hugged Pip as soon as Mama let her go. “You have no idea how hard it has been not to pester you with questions.” She shot a look at Fieran. “You should be impressed by my forbearance.”
Fieran braced a hand against the fuselage as he sent an exaggerated, annoyed look at Mama. “Dacha told you, didn’t he?”
“Yes. Of course he did.” Mama’s grin widened as she gave Fieran a hug as well.
Right. Because Dacha told Mama everything. The two of them had no secrets.
Great. That meant Dacha would have told Mama the whole singing a love ditty thing. He was never going to live that down.
Then something struck him. “Wait. You’re the reason Dacha arranged for Pip to be sent to the AMPC, aren’t you? I knew meddling wasn’t like him.”
It made so much more sense that it had all been Mama’s idea.
“Yes and no. I might have inspired the idea and urged him to do it, but believe it or not, the actual idea was your dacha’s.” Mama gave him and Pip a more hesitant glance. “I’m sorry if we overstepped.”
