Page 99 of Jester

“What is?”

“Us being together. I think a part of me figured it might not happen. Now, I know I couldn’t survive if we don’t work.”

“I want you, Jester. You want me, right?”

“Too much.”

Talon settles down and smiles again. “We’re both in unchartered territory here. That’s good, though, right? What we feel for each other isn’t something we feel for others. It’s special.”

“I don’t know how to protect anything special.”

“I think you do.”

“I let Lando die.”

“No, you let him go with his stupid mom. She let him die.”

“I could have been better.”

“We all make mistakes. Even Papa Bear fucks up, and he tends to be right about most things.”

Turning to my side to face her, I frown. “This thing feels too good for a man like me.”

“That’s bullshit. Why shouldn’t you be happy?”

“I’ve never been a good man.”

Talon considers my words. “I’m not a particularly amazing person. I suck a lot and get in my own way. I usually don’t say the best things to people I care about. I don’t think I’ve been supportive enough with Aqua because babies creep me out. But, even if I’m garbage, I still want to be happy with you.”

“I can’t see shit the way you do. When I look at you, I see a beautiful young woman with lots of options.”

“No,” she says and shakes her head. “You’re not seeing me then. I mean, I guess I’m not a troll. I’ll give you that one. But I don’t have options. I want you. If you don’t want me or give me up to punish yourself, I’m going to be alone.”

“I’m not giving you up.”

“Good. Then, what the hell are we talking about?”

“I’m working through some things up here,” I say and tap my head. “Trying to make sense of how I feel.”

Talon studies me for a minute before resting her hand on my chest. “I had three fears when it came to you and me.”

“Continue,” I say when she remains silent.

“One was that you’d boss me around and steal my power. But I underestimated how sweet you could be and how bitchy I can be. That’s not a worry anymore.”

“So, what are the other two fears?”

“I wasn’t sure I wanted to be a mom. I thought I’d get weak or lose my edge. Sure, I saw Ominous be a mom. And Betty Boop wasn’t a pushover. But I thought having a little person depend on me would be suffocating.”

“And you still fear that?”

“Not if we do it together. If you croaked tomorrow, I wouldn’t have a kid. I can’t handle that alone, and no other man would replace you. So, I’d just stay single like Dire. But you are here, and I think we make a good team. I can handle being a mom to one kid. Maybe two if it’s twins. But I don’t think I want more. It’s exhausting just watching Jules with her four.”

“I don’t want more than one kid. I think I’ll be a paranoid dad after what happened to Lando. Two kids seem like a bigger chance of me fucking up.”

“Okay, so we’re agreed.”

“What’s the last fear?” I ask as her hand slides down my stomach toward my cock.

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