Prophylaxis - 27. Chapter 27

I huddled in the incredibly soft pullover hoodie and lounge-pants that had been waiting for me after my time in the bath, another gift from the Hollow. My fingers were wrapped around a ceramic mug holding something warm and alcoholic, a gift from Zeru when he'd seen me after Riley had convinced me I couldn't simply live out my days in the bathroom. The half-fae guaranteed me it wasn't tea when I'd sniffed it suspiciously. It was creamy and sweet, making me feel warm inside. It was really nice of him and I told him so. Zeru hadn't seemed to know what to do with my gratitude. Poor guy seemed like he didn't get many thank you's. But I remembered Riley had said saying that was a no-no with the fae. Ugh, all this shit was too confusing. I tugged my hood further over my face.

I was way over on one side of the room with Zeru while Riley was on the other side of the room filling Guy and Takashi in on my bathtime revelations, including a bit more I'd told Riley about how I'd gotten snatched in the first place. He'd wanted me to tell them myself, but I weenied the fuck out. When I'd stepped out of the safety of the bathroom, my heart had clenched in my chest when the others had looked at me with worried eyes. I couldn't stand to see those eyes when they heard how I'd fucked everything up and gotten myself into so much trouble. I didn't want to hear their anger at Lester, at me. I froze up, nearly bolting back into the tub.

I felt like a goddamned high-maintenance princess, even as I let my lovers calm me down. I'd practically begged Riley to tell them for me. He didn't look ecstatic about it, but he'd agreed, and I'd scurried away to hide in the little sitting area across the room. Zeru had followed me… with yummy drinks.

"Why didn't you stay and listen to Riley?" I asked softly.

"I can hear enough to get the gist," the half-siren said with a shrug. "Besides, my place is here. They're so wrapped up in what was that they won't be able to look after you until they work it out in their heads." He smiled, teeth white and shining, taking a sip of his own mug. "It's hardly a sacrifice to sit with you and drink Uruisg's sweet brew. I used to snitch cups of it when I was at my mother's knee."

Mother.

Fuck.

"Zeru, I need a phone," I said suddenly, nearly dumping my drink as I set it on the table. "I have to call my family, let them know I'm alright."

"Oh, sure." He pulled a black rectangle of plastic and glass from his pocket and handed it to me. "Here you go."

I looked at the shiny cell-phone stupidly. It was fancier than mine. There were little red and gold fish on the case. The words "Zeru the Golden" were written in scrolling golden script along the back, little fishies curled between them.

"You have a cell?" I asked rudely.

"Don't you?" Zeru asked in a fascinated whisper. "I haven't been in the human lands for a while, but from looking at the internet, television, and movies; I thought most humans had them." He gasped at a sudden thought. "Do you still have one of those awful flip-phones?" He patted my hood. "You poor dear."

He took the phone from me and waved a hand next to it, Vanna White style.

"Okay, you can do this, Mick. It's easy. You'll love this. It's probably going to amaze you." He pointed at the home button. "You can press this to turn it on. Then you put in your thumbprint on the glass to unlock it. Right on the glass!" He flamboyantly demonstrated.

"Zeru," I sighed, but he was on a roll.

"Look! A visual display! High definition and the ability to connect to wifi!"

He pointed at several apps, telling me what they were and why they were absolutely amazing.

"Zeru!" I snapped. "I have a smartphone! I was surprised you had one."

"Oh." He cocked his head to the side, his wine-red eyes blinking at me in confusion. "Why?"

"I didn't think you had much human technology here," I explained. "And can you even get signal? Aren't we underground?"

"You really think the humans made all this fancy tech without a little magical nudge?" Zeru snorted. "We'd still be on the old rotary dials if it weren't for some of the Coblynau and Knackers getting bored with modern mines and deciding to poke around with some human toys." The half-fae grinned, tossing his golden hair with a turn of his head. "Then we wanted the humans to do the work of putting all the infrastructure down, so it was all very carefully leaked. The Summer Queen is still angry that it was our court that made such an effect on the human world. I think they're banned in the Seelie Court." Zeru rolled his eyes. "Anyway," he handed me the phone. "There you go."

I took a deep breath, pulling my legs up in the seat with me as I pushed the button so I could punch in a number. It rang twice before it was picked up.

"Mmm, bueno?" a sleepy voice answered.

My sister. She must have been visiting Mom.

"Rosie?" I asked, cursing the tremble in my voice.

"Tio Chuy?" Rosalind said, still sounding half asleep. "Are you drunk again? I told you I'd call if we heard anything. Ay chingao, you're lucky you didn't wake up Mom."

"N-no. It's not Uncle Chuy… It's me, Rosie."

There was a gasp and a thud, then the sound of the phone banging around. After a few moments, my sister's wide awake voice was back.

"Nate? Fuck! Nate, is that you? Are you there?"

"I'm here," I answered quickly. "Are you okay?"

"Am I okay? Jesus, Nate, I only fell out of the bed. I'm fucking fine."

Yeah, me and my sis had a lot in common, like our foul mouths.

"God, Nate, where are you? Are you alright?"

"I'm okay. I'm fine. I'm safe." I heard a door open and close. "Did I wake you?" I asked, realizing Rosalind had been sleeping when I called. "What time is it? Should I call back?"

"Ni te atrevas, pendejo," my sister hissed. "If you hang up, I'll crawl through the phone and smack you." I heard another door open. "Ma! Nate's on the phone!"

There was a pause as Rosalind was no doubt attempting valiantly to shake my mom awake. The woman slept like she was on rhino tranquilizers.

"Shit, Ma, Nate's on the phone! Take off your CPAP," Rosie hollered.

I couldn't hold back a choked laugh as I heard the sound of whooshing air as my mom took off her sleep apnea mask without turning off the airflow. An anxious giggle bubbled in my throat. The sound stopped suddenly and I heard rustling as the phone was passed. My amusement died as my heart clenched in my chest.

"Mijo?"

My mother's voice was hesitant and shaky. The knot in my heart ached.

"Y-yeah, Mom. It's me."

"Baby, where are you? Are you alright?"

"I'm okay. I'm safe. I'm with friends. I'll be back as soon as I can." My voice broke. I roughly swiped away the wetness that had started to drip down my cheeks. "But I promise, I'm okay."

"What happened?" Mom asked, sounding close to tears herself. "The police… They said they found your car and that there was blood… So much blood. There was a security camera. Someone took you from your car. They… They said they weren't sure you were alive…"

Fuck. She was crying. I'd made my mom cry.

"It's okay. I'm okay," I choked out. It felt like that's all I was saying, over and over to everyone "That was my friend, Guy. I called him and he came and got me."

"Did he take you to a hospital? That was over two weeks ago. Why didn't the hospital call us? Why didn't the police know where you were?"

"Uh, he didn't take me to a hospital. He-He took me to a doctor he knows. Things were crazy. I know I should have called you right away. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

"Conejito, no. I'm just happy you're alive. I thought… With what the police said…"

"Mom, please, don't cry. I'm okay."

God, I was a terrible son.

"Nate, shit."

Rosalind had taken the phone back, but I could still hear my mom crying in the background. It was a horrible noise. I hated hearing it, knowing that I'd caused it.

"When are you coming back?" my sister asked, sounding like she was trying to keep control of her own emotions.

"I don't know. As soon as I can."

"What the hell is going on? Are you in trouble?"

"No."

Yes. So much trouble.

"I just… I have to take care of some things, and I'll be back as soon as I can. I'll call right away when I get home. I promise."

"Where are you?"

Well, fuck. I had no idea how to answer that one.

"I'm just… I'm somewhere safe. I need to take care of some things here before I can go home."

"Dammit, you are in trouble."

"No, no. I swear it's okay. It's just… complicated."

"Fine." I heard my sister sigh. Her voice softened. "What happened to you?"

My throat tightened, fingers clenching on Zeru's phone.

"I-I got hurt… It was bad. But I got away, Rosie. I'm okay."

"Hurt… Fuck, Nate, who hurt you? What happened?" my sister asked, sounding ready to pull her hair out. "I know you're the master of understatement. If you say it was bad… Was it that guy that the cops said pulled you out of your car? Does he have you right now? Is he listening?" Her voice dropped to a horrified whisper. "Are you tied up right now and he's holding the phone to your ear?"

"God, Rosie, no." I didn't know if I was going to start laughing or burst into tears. "I'm sitting on a couch. I borrowed a phone. I'm holding it myself. No one is listening over my…"

I glanced up, jumping when there were four sets of eyes watching me with concern. Apparently Riley's chat session was over. I wanted to crawl under the couch and live forever with the dust-bunnies. I could become their king. My rule would be firm but just. And I'd never have to think about how these men knew. They knew too much, because Riley and his goddamned ability to make me spill my guts. He'd even gotten me to tell him what happened when King Tighearnain had whisked me away. Then, I'd stupidly given him permission to tell the others about that, too. Because I'm a fucking genius with a complete inability to keep my trap shut when faced with big green eyes and a sympathetic ear.

My skin prickled and went cold. There was a strange, tense sympathy in their eyes. They were angry, all of them, but not at me. At least outwardly, they were calm, which shocked me a little. I'd expected some explosions, yelling, a release of the rage at Lester and the anger toward me for letting myself get into that situation. Instead they were just looking at me and it felt like knives on my skin. I wanted to reach into their heads and tear the knowledge out. Living under the couch was looking better and better.

All hail King of the Dust-bunnies.

"Nate? Nate!" I heard my sister's voice but I couldn't seem to answer her. "Fuck, Nate, are you there?"

Guy leaned down, reaching out to stroke my cheek with one hand while the other plucked the phone from my numb fingers.

"Hello?" Guy said politely.

"Who the fuck is this? Put Nate back on the phone!" I heard my sister shriek. Yep, that's my sis. We may not be related by blood, but we are definitely family.

"This is Guy Whitmore. I'm a friend of Nate's," Guy answered calmly. "He's feeling a little… overwhelmed, I think. I'll put him back on with you in a minute, as soon as he's settled a little."

I didn't hear what Rosie said next, but I can imagine from Guy's response.

"Ah, no," Guy said quickly, looking a strange combination of amused and horrified. "I swear I didn't kidnap your brother. He's not tied to anything right now. He's just been through a lot. I promise, he's fine." There was a pause as he listened. "Yes, I was the one who found him. He called me and I came. I'm not surprised the police are wanting to talk to me. As soon as we get back, I know I'll probably have to go see them… Yeah, he really is okay. He just needs to figure some things out and he'll be home." Guy listened a moment before looking at me sharply. "That's something you'll have to talk to your brother about. If he wants to talk about it, then he'll tell you. But maybe you should give him a little time."

And I suddenly didn't want to listen to either half of their conversation anymore. I looked up when Riley joined me on the couch, wriggling into the small space next to the armrest so he wouldn't have to sit between Zeru and me. Zeru looked crushed. Riley threw an arm over my shoulder and kissed my cheek.

"Hey, how you holding up?" he asked.

I shrugged.

"Come on, it's going to be okay," the flame-haired fae said gently. "I explained everything. They're not mad at you, they're more than pissed at your stepdad, though. And we're kind of worried about what the King tried to pull."

I nodded.

"You should be able to negotiate something for your next visit," Takashi told me perching a hip on the armrest while Riley began rubbing his cheek on my shoulder. "We can find someone who knows more about this court to help you know the ins and outs. That way he won't catch you by surprise so easily, next time. I only visited here and Riley's knowledge might not be applicable since he grew up with the Seelie."

"I can do that," Zeru piped up in obvious excitement. "I grew up here and I've been a guard. I'd be delighted to help."

"Would that be okay with you, Mick?" Riley asked, sounding pained at allowing the possibility of Zeru's assistance.

I licked my lips, swallowed. Responding involved opening my mouth and speaking. Why did that seem hard?

"Yeah. That would be good," I finally forced out. "Thanks, Zeru."

The half-fae grinned triumphantly, which made Riley scowl. I couldn't help a little smile of my own. I took a deep breath and let it out.

"That's better," Riley murmured softly. "Things will work out, Mick."

Zeru's phone suddenly appeared in front of my face.

"Are you okay to talk again?" Guy asked gently. "I'm pretty sure your sister thinks I'm a serial killer or something holding you captive."

"Pfft, yeah. That sounds like Rosie." I took the phone. "Sis?"

"Oh, thank fuck," Rosie blurted. "I thought he'd gagged you or something."

"Seriously, Guy isn't holding me captive," I told her. "For really-reals. He's a good guy."

I snorted, amused at how being with someone named 'Guy' made me realize how much I used the word 'guy' when I talked.

"I'm dating him, Rosie," I forced myself to admit, cheeks burning. "That's why I knew I could call him and he'd come to my rescue. He's not just my buddy, he's my boyfriend."

"Holy shit…" There was a long pause as my sister digested my words. "Is he hot?"

And I had successfully, if temporarily diverted her.

"Very."

Another pause.

"Do you love him?"

I looked up at Guy, startled at the question and paranoid he'd heard it. It didn't look like it. He was talking quietly with Riley. I looked down.

"I think I might…" I whispered.

"Dayum, Nate. When you get back and on your feet again, you gotta bring him to visit." Rosie told me. "You'd make Mom and Grandma's year if you finally let them make dinner for somebody you're dating."

It was a bit more complicated than that, though. Could I just bring Guy? He wasn't the only one in my bed. And, if I was honest with myself, he wasn't the only one in my heart, either. It didn't feel right to bring Guy to Sunday dinner and leave Takashi and Riley behind.

"Umm, yeah," I said, realizing I'd gone too long without speaking.

"Alright, spill it. What's the problem with bringing him? Is he black? You know how racist Mom is."

I heard my mother squawk in the background.

"Yeah, and Dad was just really, really, really tan," I said dryly.

"Oh, yeah, that's right," my sis giggled. "Then there's no reason you can't bring him."

I heard shuffling as my mom wrestled the phone away.

"Conejito, you have a lover?" she cooed at me.

"Mom!"

"And he's with you?" she continued. "He's taking good care of you?"

I looked around. The eyes that I had tried to avoid before didn't seem so bad now. Green, hazel, and amber gazes were soft and kind. I felt a warm flush creep up my face.

"Yeah," I said softly, a flock of butterflies fluttering in my belly. I wanted to curl up with all of them on the bed, snuggling against my men. "They're taking care of me."

"They?" I heard my sister squeal. Mom must have switched the phone to speaker. "What do you mean they? How many boys do you have wrapped around your fingers right now, big brother?"

"Uh…" My brain blanked. "I gotta go. I know it's late. You guys need to get back to bed."

"Nate!" my sister growled.

"Hush, Rosie," my mom said gently. "Your brother is probably very tired. He needs his rest."

Yes, exactly. I wasn't running from uncomfortable conversations at all. Hopefully, they would forget my little slip.

"I'll call as soon as I get home," I promised.

"If the police call, what do you want us to tell them?" Rosalind asked.

"Shit, I hadn't thought of that." I sighed. "I'll call them today and tell them I'm alright."

That was going to be a fun conversation. I would have to figure out a story that would settle the cops down and keep Guy from getting arrested.

"I love you, hijo," Mom said gently. "Be safe."

"Love you, big brother," Rosie added.

"Love you, too," I said, feeling tears prick my eyes. "Talk to you soon."

They said goodbye and I pushed the button to end the call, handing the phone back to Zeru.

"Bed and snuggles?" Riley asked, leaning against me.

"Yeah," I agreed. "That sounds about perfect."

It was. We stripped out of our clothes after Riley kicked a very pitiful Zeru out of the room. It was comforting feeling their warmth around me, their soft breaths, the slow thud of a heart beating in the chest beneath my cheek. It wasn't possible to avoid erections as we cuddled and shifted on the bed, but it didn't feel like anything that needed to go anywhere or anything to shy away from and the hardness would pass without worry.

I fell asleep, exhausted, surrounded by the warmth of my men, feeling safe for the first time in a long time.