Chapter 5 - Fates, Fins, and Fangs

I LICKED MY BLUE MOON ice cream cone, a faint smile ghosting over my lips. Chike was digging into his triple chocolate, caramel, and whipped cream topped extra-large banana split like he'd never seen food in his life. The guy had a ridiculous sweet tooth, and he ate more than anyone I'd ever met. He didn't really exercise, that I was aware of. How he managed to stay so slender and graceful was a mystery to me. Meanwhile, I worked out with Gesa several times a week. I was strong...ish. But I loved food, and my body seemed pre-disposed to maintain a nice layer of cushion. I had long ago accepted my well-padded jiggly bits. We couldn't all be model-thin waifs or perfectly sculpted muscle-heads.

Chike came up for air and his amethyst eyes met mine. "So, ice cream is nice," he said bluntly, his face not betraying any emotion other than his usual bored-with-the-world disdain. "But you only invite me out when you need to vent or when you plan on nagging me about something." His eyes slid away from mine, and I thought he knew exactly why I'd asked him to hang out. "What did you want to talk about?"

I swallowed and pulled my big girl pants way up. "Maybe we can start with why you kissed me. Then we can loop back around to how you've told me you were gay for years."

His perfect lips curled up on one side, a wry smile trying to make its way across his pretty face. "So sweet and subtle," he murmured. "You've been spending way too much time around Gesa."

I licked my ice cream and waited, ignoring the panic-inducing way my vision seemed to kind of shimmer every time I looked at Chike.

He let out a sigh and looked down, attempting to murder his poor banana with the plastic sword that had held his cherry. "I'm sorry if I startled you," he said, licking his lips and forcing himself to look up. His expression was defiant. "Isn't it obvious that I've wanted more than friendship all these years?"

I raised my eyebrows at him and willed my suddenly racing heart to chill the fuck out. "Um. No. What the heck would be obvious about that?" I gestured at him. "You're you. And I'm so...me. I can't believe you'd be interested in a chubby nerd, who also just happens to be female."

He huffed at me and ate one of his cherries. "You're ridiculous." Leaning across the table, he put his hand on mine and squeezed. "Troy. You're beautiful. And smart. And funny." He frowned. "Well...sometimes you're funny. Once in a while. Your jokes are pretty lame."

I shook my head at him. "Do you even know how many times I've had to remind myself not to make a fool out of myself over a gay guy? One who is also my best friend?"

That was what puzzled me the most. I mean, sure, I had trouble believing someone as gorgeous as Chike would be interested in my awkward self. But he was my best friend, so I knew he liked me for who I was, before anything else. What I was still hung up on was all the boys I'd seen him date. And the way he seemed so...nervous. Chike didn't do nervous. He was too hostile and emo for nervous. He just did and said whatever the hell he wanted, with no fucks given about what anyone else might think. Something was freaking him out. My weird conversation with Oisin flittered through my mind. Something about powerful people. And then there was the phone conversation I’d overhead, where Gesa warned him away from me.

"I feel like something else is going on here," I said slowly, wiping a drip of melting ice cream off my hand. "I overheard your phone call with Gesa yesterday. Why doesn't your adoptive sort-of-mom want us to date?" It might just be because I was also close friends with said adoptive mom. But somehow, I didn't think that was it. Irrational anger started to curl around the edges of my brain. "What? She doesn't think I'm good enough for you?"

Chike sat back and rubbed his hands over his face. Then he looked at me, expression filled with frustration. "Of course not!" he said on a sigh. "It's more like I'm not good enough for you." He shrugged, but I could see the trace of anger there. "She thinks you're meant for...bigger, better things." He smiled at me sadly. "I mean, come on, Troy. You're in school. You're on your way to becoming a nurse! You deserve better than a skinny, angsty orphan artist who works part time at the local aquarium."

I frowned at him. "That's stupid. She's stupid, if that's what she thinks. I'm going to slap the shit out of her next time I see her."

He huffed a laugh and dug back into his banana split. "Yeah, okay. I'll sell tickets." Because we both knew Gesa could kill me with one hand tied behind her back. The woman was scary strong, and she hunted down minor criminals for work.

"So," I said, once again trying to remind myself I was a grown-assed adult, not a shy teenager. "Can I assume this whole weird conversation means we can try dating?" I met his eyes and saw the fond yearning there. The same need I felt in my soul. "Can we do this without ruining our friendship?"

He closed his pretty eyes in a long blink. "Yes. I'd...really like that."

I mulled things over as we finished our ice cream. Then we threw away our trash and wandered down the sidewalk toward the city park, soaking up the warm sunshine. Chike took my hand and launched into some ridiculous story about an octopus trying to escape from the aquarium that involved a lot of raunchy tentacle jokes. I let myself relax. This was Chike. My best friend. And now a whole new world of possibilities was opening up before me. I remembered the feel of his lips on mine, and my skin tingled.

Glancing his way, I stumbled over my own feet. He was shimmering again, his skin for one moment flashing to an opalescent sheen. I blinked and the vision was gone. Chike was back to just normal levels of stunning, his long lavender ponytail swaying in the summer breeze as he turned to me, a slight smile on his face at my clumsiness. "Watch out, there," he teased. "That perfectly level sidewalk is a doozy."

I gave him a fake laugh. "And you said my sense of humor was bad."

He continued on, tugging me back beside him. "We can cut through the park. Then I have to go get ready for work. Move it, sloth girl."

I walked slower, just to piss him off.

"Actually," I said, as we crossed the park and headed toward the apartment. "There was something else I wanted to ask you about." And, here we go, ruining everything.

Chike shot me a sideways glance. "Haven't we had enough deep emotional talks for the day?"

I licked my lips, my stomach suddenly full of butterflies. Or maybe wasps. Maybe I should just leave it alone. Maybe I should just be happy with this budding new thing between us and not rock the boat.

But a memory of Rhys's light green eyes, full of mischief and...hope, flashed through my mind and I opened my stupid mouth. "Rhys said you guys had some kind of agreement. Not to date me."

Chike stopped walking and turned to me in surprise. "He did?"

I nodded. "Uh...yeah. What's that all about?"

Chike let out a frustrated sigh. "Well, when we all moved into the bookstore, it was suggested that it might cause problems, with one girl and two guys staying there. We thought it might be best to have an understanding."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "And no one thought to include me in this discussion? You just went around behind my back deciding who does or doesn't get into my pants? Like I'm some weak-minded girl who needs the boys to protect my chastity?"

He had the grace to blush, his high cheekbones turning a stunning pink color. "It wasn't like that, Troy. It...wasn't our idea, actually. Gesa took us aside and lectured us like a couple of horny teenagers. Like because we were men, we couldn't be trusted to keep our dicks to ourselves around the poor, precious maiden."

I scoffed. I was so going to kick Gesa's ass. Especially since she and her freaking harem of lovers had lived in the apartment before us. What a hypocrite.

Chike held up his hands, clearly aware of my thoughts. "I know."

I waved that away for the moment and focused on the more important thing. "Rhys came on to me yesterday," I blurted out.

Chike's eyes flashed and he opened his mouth, but I beat him to it. "And he didn't seem to care that he saw us kissing. He...kind of implied that I didn't have to...choose."

Lavender eyebrows almost met his hairline as Chike processed this. "That kinky leach," he muttered.

Then he stepped closer, his amethyst eyes full of something I didn't recognize. "And...," he whispered, his head tilted curiously. "What did you say, Troya?"

I blinked at him. "I...uh...sort of ran away."

He smiled, a soft chuckle escaping him before he reigned it in. "Oh."

I stared at him. "Oh? What does that even mean, oh?"

He smirked at me and dropped a soft kiss on the corner of my mouth. "Well...you didn't tell him 'no,’ or punch him in the dick. So, I'm assuming that means you're interested in him too."

I swallowed hard. What a weird fucking conversation to have with your brand-new best-friend-turned-boyfriend. "Uh," I said intelligently. But I could feel the bright red blush staining my cheeks. I felt like I was about to spontaneously combust.

Chike shook his head at me. "I take it back," he said, turning and pulling me along, making me resume walking so he could get to work on time. "You are awkward."

I slapped his arm. "Shut up."

He laughed. "I didn't say it was a bad thing."

When we reached the bookstore, he pulled me to a halt out front, glancing at the glass paned door, then back at me. "Where I was born, people liked to tell you all kinds of things about what you could and couldn't do and what was accepted and not accepted. You thought I was gay all those years because it's partially true. I'm pansexual. But the first time I realized I was attracted to a guy—another teenager back home—my family nearly disowned me." I opened my mouth to express my outrage, but he waved me off. "Whatever. Ancient history now. And that's part of why I ended up here, so I can't be too mad about it. But what I'm saying is, people weren't meant to live by these rigid ideals that are forced on us. I say, if you want something, if it feels right, go for it."

He squeezed my hand and gave me a soft, teasing smile. "If you want to date both of us and see where that leads, I'm...surprisingly okay with that. Even if Rhys is an annoying asshole."

I laughed at the ridiculousness of the situation. It was surreal. Was this really happening?

"You're an amazing person," I said seriously. "Do you know that?"

Chike just winked and opened the door for me. "Oh, I know. But you can tell me again anytime you want."