Why Don't Ya Come Up and See Me Sometime?

[MELANIE WHITFIELD]

Melanie had spent enough time in bed over the past few days. She went through these bouts of melancholy, but it was worse with the darkness in the sky. Mordecai was gone and Brandon had carried his dead body. They had stood together as the Avisailles gathered to watch their leader burn, no wings to burn. It baffled her how cruel the world could be. She had spoken little to Kevin, saying she was sick, which is what she told the hospital too. She never called out sick, so the hospital told her to take the rest of the week off and get better. Now, she was feeling a little stronger, though it was mostly that she was getting accustomed to this new weakness in her body. Without the sun, she felt like she was ill all the time. Her feathers were beginning to fall out too, which had happened on occasion when new ones grew in, but now they were coming out much quicker than usual. She had panicked, thinking she was dying or something until Brandon confirmed it was happening to him too. They were both worse for wear, but he was much more cheerful the past couple days, which made her want to cheer up too.

Tonight he would be out with Jo, and she wanted to see Kevin. It had only been three days since she had seen Kevin, but it felt like an eternity. So much had changed in just three days and she wanted to restore some amount of normalcy. She invited Kevin over to her home for dinner—she was going to make enchiladas, which was one of her specialties. It would cheer her up and a good meal would settle him for the news she was going to break tonight. She was determined to tell him what she was tonight. It made her nervous, and she felt her stomach roiling with the thought, but in other ways she was certain he would understand. He was a good guy; he wouldn’t turn her away for being different…she didn’t think. She was just putting the lid on the Spanish rice she was making with their dinner when she heard the doorbell ring. It made her jump a little, but she hurried to the door.

There on her doorstep was just the person she wanted to see more than anything. She smiled wide and threw her arms around his neck, kissing him sweetly when she did so. “I haven’t seen you in forever!” she chirped, immediately cheered by the sight of Kevin. It was cold outside, but her house was warm, so she pulled him inside before she got too chilled on the doorstep. “Come in!” she instructed in a soft breathy voice. “Dinner’s almost done.” She smiled over her shoulder at him as she made her way down the hall again to the bright, warm kitchen. The house was pretty open and not terribly large. The living room was in a wide open space to the left of the doorway, the stairs to the right. There was a small half bath under the stairs and at the end of a hallway there was a large kitchen and dining area. Upstairs were three rooms, a library and her and Bran’s rooms. She had the master suite, so she had her own bathroom and Brandon had his. It was a cozy little home with all sorts of knick knacks from their travels and lots of pictures of themselves and their family. Really, it would be impossible to feel unwelcome in the Garcia household, especially with the smells of cooking filling the downstairs.

[KEVIN WHITFIELD]

Kevin was nervous that maybe Melanie wasn't as interested as she seemed or that he had done something wrong. Maybe she had found out about his colorful past which he had so conveniently lied to her about. She had been sick which meant they weren't hanging out, but Kevin couldn't help but wonder if she really was sick. It worried him and he found himself thinking about it often. What could he have done to make it better? Was she the type to feign sickness to get out of a date? Maybe she really did hate that he was broke! All those terrible thoughts plagued him until she invited him over and then suddenly he felt silly for worrying. She really had been under the weather and that was all.

Kevin made sure to dress nice the night he went to Melanie's. He wanted to impress her, wanted her to keep wanting to see him. He even stopped and picked up a bouquet of flowers. It wasn't fancy, mostly carnations and daisies, but it was cheerful, colorful and Kevin thought pretty. It reminded him of Melanie and he silently vowed one day he would get her the expensive roses. But for today, the small, cheap but beautiful bouquet would have to suffice.

Kevin found her home easily enough and was a a little nervous that maybe Brandon would be there. Would he hassle him? Give him a hard time for bringing flowers? For dressing up? She mentioned he was seeing the girl he was dating but had he left yet? He decided to put it out of his mind, reaching for the doorbell and sliding the hand with the flowers behind his back.

Her greeting made any fear he had slip away. When her hands slid around his neck, he put his free hand on her hip and kissed her back, smiling against her lips. “I haven’t seen you in forever!” He melted a little and smiled brighter, shrugging a little. It had been a while.. “Come in! Dinner’s almost done.” Kevin did just that. He came in and shut the door gently behind him, looking around as he followed Melanie to her kitchen.

"It smells good." He said softly, his eyes darting around and absorbing the new surroundings. It was a habit of his whenever he was in a new home. He liked to see where all the exits were in case he needed to make a fast break and what sort of things decorated the place since that told a lot about the people. He noticed small things. Ashtrays meant smokers. Readily available corkscrew meant drinkers. Then there was the messy factor, but that didn't need an equation. A mess was a mess.

There were no red flags in Melanie's home. He hadn't intentionally looked for them, but he had spent years doing it and now it was simply habit. In fact, he felt comfortable there, more so than he had in any home, including his own, in a very long time. "Your house is really nice.." He commented, not even having seen most of it yet, but his eyes roamed around before landing back on Melanie. "Oh! Uh.. these are for you.." He pulled the flowers out and offered them bashfully. "I didn't know what kind you liked and.. well these were nice." He cleared his throat and pulled his eyes from Melanie, feeling a little awkward.

"So Brandon's with his girlfriend tonight?" He asked casually, trying to make conversation without knowing what to say. He peaked over her shoulder and tried to get a glimpse of the food. It smelled Spanish, which was fine with him. He grew up in Texas; Mexican food was basically a staple there.

[MELANIE WHITFIELD]

“It smells good.” Melanie smiled over her shoulder at Kevin brightly. “Thank you!” she replied cheerfully, taking her place behind the counter again when they reached the kitchen. Kevin was taking in his surroundings and she smiled, turning to the pot of Spanish rice, giving it a stir. It looked like he had something hidden behind his back, but she didn’t pry. “Your house is really nice…” She smiled wider. “Thank you again! I decorated it myself,” she said with a cute little nonchalant shrug. His eyes came back to her and it looked like something had just occurred to him. “Oh! Uh…these are for you…” He pulled out a bouquet from behind his back and she gasped in delight. Flowers! She hadn’t expected them, but she was absolutely thrilled. “I didn’t know what kind you liked and…well these were nice.” She was beaming, absolutely thrilled he even thought to bring her flowers. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d gotten flowers! To her, this bouquet in her hands was the most beautiful bouquet she’d ever seen. She brought them to her nose and sniffed them, relishing the sweet smell.

“So Brandon’s with his girlfriend tonight?” Melanie was caught a little off guard by the question and she looked up at him with wide eyes. “Oh, yeah! I think he’ll be gone the whole night. So the house is all ours,” she replied cheerfully in her soft voice before she realized what that might have sounded like. It made her pause and blush a little as she looked back to her flowers. Instead of broaching the topic that popped up in her mind at the thought of the two of them being alone in her house all night, she gave another big smile and moved toward him. “And thank you for the flowers. They’re beautiful,” she said with genuine happiness lighting up her face. She put a hand on his shoulder and stood on tiptoe so she could get closer to his face. When he brought his head down, she planted a sweet kiss on his lips, smiling against his as she did so. She would definitely press one of those flowers in one of her old books and save it.

The timer on the stove went off as she was kissing Kevin, though, so she pulled away with a smile and placed her flowers carefully on the counter before turning to shut off the timer. When she opened the oven, a blast of heat hit her in the face and she shied away for a moment before looking back to her enchiladas. They were turning out just fine and looked to be done. She grabbed a pair of oven mitts and slipped them on before leaning down to fetch the casserole dish from the oven. There were six big, awesome smelling enchiladas in the dish and they steamed pleasantly. Melanie smiled wide at her creation, placing the dish on the tiled counter, quite proud of herself. She looked at him with that same smile. “You’re lucky Brandon’s not here. He would fight you over these. It would be a battle to the death right here in the kitchen,” she teased. She went to fetch a serving plate and a bowl for the rice. The table was already set, so all she needed was stuff for the food. As she shoveled the enchiladas onto the serving plate with a spatula, she smiled at Kevin. “What would you like to drink? We’ve got water, Mountain Dew, and Bud Light,” she asked. She liked this domestic setting for them, her preparing dinner while he stood nearby for her to talk to and to offer help when needed. It felt so homey and for a brief moment, she considered what it would be like to do this every day.

She handed him the serving plate and smiled wide. “Can you put that on the table please?” she requested. “And don’t even think about picking at it. I’m watching you.” Her eyes narrowed playfully and she brought up two fingers pointing at her face and then turned them around so they were pointing at him in a good-humored threat. With a little giggle, she turned to the Spanish rice, satisfied it was done, and started spooning it into the bowl she had gotten down. Even with the horrible weather outside, it was a nice picture on the inside.

[KEVIN WHITFIELD]

He was glad she liked the flowers and beamed at her as she sniffed them, quite proud of himself! He graciously accepted her kiss in return and went back to watching her prepare supper. When Melanie mentioned that Brandon would be gone the whole night and the house was all theirs he got a funny tingle in his stomach and blushed, noting she did the same. Was she planning on abusing this alone time? Should he? Was it too soon to have sex? He wanted to, and he knew they had the tendency to get carried away. He decided not to let the thought consume him, that if it happened it happened, but he wouldn't push it. Not unless she encouraged him to. In that case... Kevin felt his pants tighten at the thought and knew he needed a distractions. Fortunately, Mel provided one.

“You’re lucky Brandon’s not here. He would fight you over these. It would be a battle to the death right here in the kitchen,” He couldn't help but laugh. "I feel like I should be more afraid of him than I am. You make him sound like he fights a lot!" Truth was he and Brandon had miraculously hit it off. Sure, they weren't best friends or anything, but they didn't seem to be enemies, either. When she asked what he wanted to drink he uttered a soft "Whatever you're having is fine." All three sounded good, but he didn't want to have a beer if she wasn't, and soda was just whatever. He would be fine with anything.

“Can you put that on the table please? And don’t even think about picking at it. I’m watching you.” He took the plate and then laughed. "You think I would do such a thing?" He asked in mock offense. "You've wounded me." He teased, bringing the plate to the table. He peaked over his shoulder playfully as he set the plate down, sticking his finger into a little bit of the sauce to be silly, but the joke was on him. "Ow! That's HOT!" He wagged his hand around and sucked his finger which burned lightly. He furrowed his brows and looked at his tender finger. "I deserved that.." He said with a little laugh, wiping his damp finger on his shirt though it was still smarting.

"This looks really amazing, Mel.. I wasn't expecting a home cooked meal. I can't even tell you the last time I had food like this!" He wasn't sure if he was referring to Mexican or a home cooked meal. The stuff he and Kelsey made was often from a box or a freezer. Neither were very good cooks. "I'm not the greatest cook.. Don't expect me to return the favor unless you're a fan of Marie Callender's.."

[MELANIE WHITFIELD]

“You think I would do such a thing? You’ve wounded me.” Melanie laughed loud at Kevin’s mocking voice. “Oh, I’m sorry,” she said, echoing his mocking tone. She finished scooping the rice from the pot and was grabbing a large serving fork and spoon from a drawer when she saw him look back at her. His hand reached forward and she gasped. “Hey!” she called out with a big smile, but his hand pulled back quickly enough. “Ow! That’s HOT!” She laughed loud, walking over to him to put the rice on the table. “That’s what you get!” she chastised through her laughter, watching as he sucked his finger of the sauce and probably to soothe the burn. His brows furrowed as he looked at his finger. “I deserved that…” She gave a little pitying face, touching his arm lightly as she passed. The bowl was on the table before she turned back to get some drinks from the refrigerator. She decided beers would be good. It was a gloomy day and they were in her warm house with nowhere else to go, having dinner. The occasion called for a beer. She grabbed to from the fridge, feeling the cool air lightly brush her skin and rest on her gray cotton, v-necked t-shirt. She wasn’t terribly dressed up, just jeans and a nice t-shirt, but it suited the casual atmosphere.

“This looks really amazing, Mel…I wasn’t expecting a home cooked meal. I can’t even tell you the last time I had food like this!” She giggled, closing the door to the fridge and moving back to him. “Aww, thanks!” she replied with a bright smile. “I’m not the greatest cook…Don’t expect me to return the favor unless you’re a fan of Marie Callender’s.” She laughed again, shaking her head. “It’s okay. I like cooking, especially for other people. Not that I judge you for eating Marie Callender’s,” she said with a playful smile. She set one of the beers on the table before reaching out for the hand with the injured finger. She pressed the cold bottle against the pink skin and smiled warmly, looking up at him. “Better? Even though you asked for it.” She gave a big smile to show she was kidding, then reached up to touch his face and pull it to hers gently to give him a sweet kiss, her smile still on her lips as she did so. It was a brief kiss, something like an apology for laughing at him, and when she pulled back she smiled wide again. She looked at the beer pressed against his hand and held it out more. “Here, that’s yours,” she said and then picked up her own and twisted the cap off with the palm of her hand. It was meant to twist off, but it the cap still bit into her soft hand, so she used the palm to minimize the bite.

With a sip of her beer, she sat down at one of the two places she’d set at the table made to seat four. Brandon and Melanie didn’t have a ton of guests very often, so their table was small and casual. She reached for the enchiladas first and dished two for herself and then traded Kevin for the rice with a smile. “Have you had to work with the weather? I’ve always thought construction stopped when the weather is bad. Or do they just find you different work?” she inquired, genuinely curious. She knew little about construction, though she knew one of her uncles did some construction work in his younger years. She used her fork to start cutting up one of the enchiladas into smaller pieces, letting some of the steam escape and help cool it some. She blew on the piece she forked up before putting it in her mouth. Yup, as good as it ever was.

[KEVIN WHITFIELD]

Kevin was glad that she liked cooking. He could definitely use a lady in his life who knew her way around a kitchen! It was sort of sexy in a way. He smiled lightly at her as she came over with the beers, and his grin grew when she took his finger and pressed the cold beverage to it. She really was a sweet girl and he was definitely charmed by her. “Better? Even though you asked for it.” He gave a slight nod, his eyes smiling along with his lips as she leaned up to peck him on the lips. She made him feel much younger than he was, like this was his first love all over again, but somehow it was much more mature. Then again his first love had been with a girl who he knew he was destined to live in a trailer with the rest of his life. Not that anything as wrong with that, he'd lived in plenty of trailers, but it wasn't the life he wanted to lead. He wanted better for his family, when he got one.

He took the beer she offered and twisted his own cap off, taking a seat as he sipped the beer and put it down by his plate. Was this what marriage would feel like if he ever got hitched? He looked around again and saw himself living in a house like hers, with all the sweet decorations. He blushed as he got ahead of himself again. "This looks amazing.. really, really good." He said softly, looking the food over hungrily. It smelled delicious!

When she reached for the enchiladas, he took the rice and dished some onto his plate. “Have you had to work with the weather? I’ve always thought construction stopped when the weather is bad. Or do they just find you different work?” He looked up at her, trading dishes and shook his head. "They haven't been able to work some projects so there were a few shifts I couldn't come in for, but I've been getting a few of the indoors gigs. Fortunately there's more indoor stuff in the city than outdoor, so that's a perk, but they've paused a lot of the outside stuff so there's sort of more hands than work right now. It might be a little slow but we're getting by." He smiled hoping she wouldn't worry about him and Kelsey. She did seem the type to worry about that stuff.

"What about Brandon's boat? Are they still going out? Should I show up at the docks on Wednesday again?" He had no idea what to expect as far as work went with her brother, but if there was a need for him, he would be there. He blew on a bite of food and then popped it into his mouth, chewing slowly before swallowing. His eyes lit up immediately. "Wow! These are really good." They had smelled good and looked good, but they tasted even better. It certainly helped that he hadn't had enchiladas in ages and he was pretty hungry.

[MELANIE WHITFIELD]

Kevin shook his head and Melanie worried that meant he hadn’t been able to find work. “They haven't been able to work some projects so there were a few shifts I couldn't come in for, but I've been getting a few of the indoors gigs. Fortunately there's more indoor stuff in the city than outdoor, so that's a perk, but they've paused a lot of the outside stuff so there's sort of more hands than work right now. It might be a little slow but we're getting by.” She had been beginning to worry that he and Kelsey wouldn’t be able to get by, but he gave her a smile and she returned it. If he said they were getting by, then they were getting by. She would let it be. But she would suggest he take some extra shifts on the boat if he needed it. Thankfully, she didn’t bring up the boat; he did! “What about Brandon’s boat? Are they still going out? Should I show up at the docks on Wednesday again?” Melanie smiled brightly and nodded. “Yeah, Brandon pretty much goes out rain or shine…though we did have some bad days this week. He missed a couple days this week because he wasn’t feeling well either. But if you’re ready for it next Wednesday, then I’m sure he’ll take you on. In fact, if they have a hard time placing you for construction, I’m sure you could pick up an extra day or something on the boat. Bran goes out Monday through Wednesday and then Saturday too,” she informed with a bright smile and then gave a little shrug. “But that’s only if you wanted to.” She picked up another piece of enchilada and popped it in her mouth, savoring the taste.

Her fork was preparing another piece of enchilada to meet its demise in her mouth, when Kevin commented on the cooking. “Wow! These are really good.” She looked at him and beamed. “Thank you!” she chirped, feeling quite good about herself. Kevin liked her cooking! She didn’t think he would hate it, but he sounded genuinely pleased, so she knew he wasn’t just saying it. Whenever she liked a guy, she loved to hear that he liked her cooking; with Kevin, it was even better, because she was pretty sure she was beyond liking him. “My dad taught me how to make them when I was…I think ten. He became quite the cook, being a single dad and all, and before that I could make simple things for dinner when I needed to help out, like Shake and Bake chicken with rice and some canned vegetable. But when he taught me how to make enchiladas, that was the first ‘complicated’ meal I ever learned how to make. I swear I cooked it twenty times in three weeks to learn how to do it just right. Of course, neither Bran nor my dad complained about being taste testers, but Bran was my toughest critic besides myself. When I finally mastered it, he made a big hoopla about it, saying they were the best enchiladas he ever had. They’re still his favorite food.” She liked telling Kevin stories from when she was young. It seemed like she did it all the time, but Melanie had a thousand memories, all linked to some object or place or person or smell. She was a very open person and her life was a book she wore on her sleeve when she was comfortable with someone.

She took a sip of beer before cutting up more enchilada, looking at her plate as she did so with an almost quizzical look. “It’s nice to be able to actually cook with everything that’s going on, though. I think if I hadn’t taken the last few days off I would have been a zombie by the end of the day. One of my friends at the hospital was telling me there’s all kind of strange things happening with this weather. She was working the nightshift and she was talking about how all these patients and doctors and other nurses just went rushing out of the hospital all of a sudden and shifted right outside the hospital doors. I mean a whole crowd of Therians just shif—“ She stopped mid-sentence, realizing what she’d done. Melanie was comfortable with Kevin; so comfortable, in fact, that she had just assumed in the heat of conversation that he knew what she was. She hadn’t meant to tell him now! She swallowed hard as she looked at him, her eyes big and uncertain. “Do…do you know what Therians are?” she asked softly. She’d just blown the whole evening. What if he got freaked out about what she was? Then she’d have a whole lot of enchiladas and she wouldn’t want a single bite of it. Not to mention it would completely wreck her evening. She meant to ease into the conversation…She only prayed he wouldn’t freak.

[KEVIN WHITFIELD]

He liked how pleased she was with his compliment. He ate his supper as she explained how her father had taught her everything and laughed at how Brandon was her biggest critic. He truly loved how close the two of them were and it didn't freak him out that they lived together. Family was very important to Kevin. When you grew up with so little of it, you tended to find it to be the most important thing in the world. Though Kevin wasn't interested in being a dad yet, he was excited about the prospect of it. The only thing holding him back from wanting kids and a wife this instant was money. Melanie seemed like she was into being domestic, which was surprisingly a huge turn on for him.

“It’s nice to be able to actually cook with everything that’s going on, though. I think if I hadn’t taken the last few days off I would have been a zombie by the end of the day." He nodded, glad she was feeling better and that her sickness hadn't been an excuse to get out of seeing him. He didn't tell her that, though. He didn't need her thinking that he was some sort of paranoid freaky boyfriend type. "One of my friends at the hospital was telling me there’s all kind of strange things happening with this weather. She was working the nightshift and she was talking about how all these patients and doctors and other nurses just went rushing out of the hospital all of a sudden and shifted right outside the hospital doors. I mean a whole crowd of Therians just shif—“ She stopped in mid-sentence and Kevin stopped in mid bite. His eyes were wide as he stared at her as if trying to figure out if it was okay that he knew what he knew, or okay that she knew it too. She knew about the Therians. He gulped and stared at her, a little unsure.

“Do…do you know what Therians are?” she asked softly. Kevin gulped feeling like it was a trick question. Kit told him he could NEVER tell anyone, but Melanie clearly knew about them, so would it matter if he said? He was silent, and looked unsure for a moment, then finally he nodded his head. "Yes." He said softly. He knew she couldn't be one since she wasn't running around in animal form at the moment. He put his fork down, unsure why he felt so nervous about this. "Um.. I know one, he, uhh.. he's told me about the legend and stuff." Kevin shrugged, but his eyes remained on her. There were other types of Guardians. Maybe she was one? Not one of those stone people. "How do you know about them?"

[MELANIE WHITFIELD]

Melanie just stared at Kevin uncertainly for a long moment while she waited anxiously for his response to her question. Did he know what Therians were? Did he know the guardians actually did exist? “Yes.” It was soft but Melanie heaved a sigh of relief. He knew about Therians! He knew that the guardians exist! She was elated and it would make explaining what she was so much easier. But she watched as he put his fork down and she felt a surge of fear. Did he not like Therians? Did he not like guardians? “Um…I know one, he, uhh…he’s told me about the legend and stuff.” The best friend that he met at summer camp, maybe? The one who he said had roots here? Melanie wondered if she knew him, but seriously doubted it. The city was large enough that even with a lot of guardians, there were even more humans. There was no way to tell who was what without asking. “How do you know about them?” The million dollar question; she put her own fork down, suddenly nervous.

“Um…because I’m a guardian too. I’m not a Therian, I’m an Avisaille. I have wings. I keep them harnessed so they aren’t so noticeable. I…I planned to tell you tonight, but not like this. That just kind of slipped,” she said with a weak little laugh, her stomach still in knots. “I wanted to tell you sooner, but we’re pretty secretive. I’m sure you knew that, though. Bran is an Avisaille too, of course. We have the same kind of wings, the wings of a bald eagle. But I wanted to tell you tonight because…well, our leader was murdered a few days ago. All of the guardians have leaders, and ours was…the best leader the Avisaille had seen in decades. He wanted us to reveal our existence, thinking people would just welcome us with open arms, but it got him killed. They ripped his wings off as a symbol that we shouldn’t go through with the revelation. And Brandon was the one who found his body. There was a group there, but he pulled off the sheet covering Mordecai and pulled him down from the tree he was nailed to. I met with Brandon at Megsy and a couple other Avisailles and we burned Mordecai’s body like all Avisailles do. Megsy is kind of the Avisailles’ place. I haven’t really been sick the past couple days, we’ve just been recovering from it. I’ve been trying to make sure Bran was okay and been dealing with my own feelings about it. But I wanted to tell you tonight because it’s kind of my memorial to Mordecai. I mean, I really, really wanted to tell you too, but that just decided it for me. I’m sorry I lied and said I was sick, I just didn’t know what else to say.” It was all out on the table now, and while she felt relieved, she still felt uncertain too.

“Brandon is better too, by the way…in case you were wondering,” she added, nodding as she looked down to her plate. Her eyes came back to his shyly. “Are you mad? Freaked out? I’ll understand if you are…” She didn’t know what else to say. Either Kevin could accept what she was or he could turn her away. She really, really hoped he would accept it and they could move on…maybe even love her for what she was…

[KEVIN WHITFIELD]

“Um…because I’m a guardian too." His eyes widened a little as he stared at her with amazement. She was a Guardian? "I’m not a Therian, I’m an Avisaille. I have wings. I keep them harnessed so they aren’t so noticeable. I…I planned to tell you tonight, but not like this. That just kind of slipped,” She had wings?! His jaw went a little slack as he swallowed her truth. Melanie had wings. She had WINGS! “I wanted to tell you sooner, but we’re pretty secretive. I’m sure you knew that, though. Bran is an Avisaille too, of course. We have the same kind of wings, the wings of a bald eagle. But I wanted to tell you tonight because…" He was trying to swallow it all, the words swimming around in his mind. Wings of an eagle. Brandon too. What did eagle wings look like again? He wanted to see! Was it rude to ask? Should he ask? Could he? Would he have the courage to?

She was going on about a man dying, something he'd heard from Kit. Some Guardian dude died and the tree split. That's what he'd told him basically. The...wing leader had his wings torn off. What was she called? An Avis...what? It was so much information to take in right away and he simply stared, hardly blinking, hardly breathing. She hadn't been sick, she was trying to sort things out. Either way it had nothing to do with him which was good. "I’ve been trying to make sure Bran was okay and been dealing with my own feelings about it. But I wanted to tell you tonight because it’s kind of my memorial to Mordecai. I mean, I really, really wanted to tell you too, but that just decided it for me. I’m sorry I lied and said I was sick, I just didn’t know what else to say.”

His eyes softened a little, feeling closer to her now, and still so unwilling to open himself up to her. He wanted to, like she'd just done, but her having wings was something he would need to find out if they were going to date, but she would never need to know about his life before Scriptor Bay. “Brandon is better too, by the way…in case you were wondering,” She was looking at her food and he was still lost for words. “Are you mad? Freaked out? I’ll understand if you are…"

He just stared at her and slowly shook his head. "I'm not mad." He told her hoarsely. "Or freaked out. Just.. uh.. I'm just surprised." He told her softly. He was looking at her completely differently now than he ever had before. Wings made her seem more perfect to him than anything else. She was like an angel, and even had the wings to prove it. He licked his lips and cleared his throat, watching her almost uncertainly. "Uhm.. can...could I..." He blushed and ran a hand through his hair and cleared his throat again, furrowing his brows, acting ever the awkward one. "I mean... not now but, uhhh.. will you...." He fidgeted in his seat a little, not wanting to sound rude or like the bumbling idiot he was currently sounding like. "I'm glad you and Brandon are okay." He finally said, chickening out instead of continuing to stammer all damn night. He shook his head again. How was she so damn perfect? She was so perfect she had WINGS! "I don't know how you keep one upping yourself.. I mean... you are single handedly the most incredible person I think I've ever met. So incredible you have..." He couldn't even say it for fear he would sound stupid somehow. He looked at his food, not helping the feelings of inadequacy he felt. How could he ever live up to someone who was so magnificent? When would she realize how much better she could do? He hoped sooner rather than later. It would hurt too much if it took her too long to figure out.

"What's, uh... what's that like?" he asked bashfully.

[MELANIE WHITFIELD]

Melanie was certain Kevin was freaked when he didn’t answer right away. What else could it be?! “I’m not mad. Or freaked out. Just…uh…I’m just surprised.” Her smile breathed onto her lips as she finally realized she’d been holding her breath the entire time. So it was just surprise. She’d worried for nothing! She hoped he wasn’t just saying that, but she didn’t think Kevin would do that. It was better now. Such a huge weight was lifted off her shoulders, she felt like she could just fly; literally! He cleared his throat, his nervous habit, and she looked at him with curiosity. “Uhm…can…could I…” She waited with raised eyebrows and wide eyes for him to ask what he wanted. His race was turning red and he ran one of his big hands through his shaggy hair and she looked confused. Why was he so nervous? “I mean…not now, but uhhh…will you…” He stopped again and she gave a little amused smile as she cocked her head to the side. What was he trying to ask? And he was fidgeting! Whatever it was, he was really uncomfortable asking it. She had to wonder if it had to do with…with…them getting carried away again. That was the only thing she could think of that would make him so nervous, and it made her blush a little before she realized that wouldn’t fit into the context of their conversation. What, then? “I’m glad you and Brandon are okay.” She sighed a little, smiling with slightly knitted brows that he didn’t finish his question. “Thanks,” she said softly.

“I don’t know how you keep one-upping yourself…I mean…you are single-handedly the most incredible person I think I’ve ever met. So incredible you have…” Wings? Was that what he was going to say? Surely he couldn’t mean they were a sign of all the incredible things she had done or a sign of her good qualities. Just because she had wings didn’t make her a good person. Brandon was an imp in true form and he had wings too. He must have meant it was so incredible she had wings. If that’s what he was saying at all…But his words touched her, and she felt a bright smile stretching across her face. She could just kiss him for saying something so sweet. Actually, that didn’t sound like a bad idea… “What’s, uh…what’s that like?” She hardly heard his question. Melanie got to her feet and leaned over the table so she could plant a kiss right on his sweet lips. He knew all of the things to say to make her feel special. She wasn’t a freak to him; it just made her more “incredible,” in his words. Her kiss was soft, but it was passionate, letting him know how much she truly appreciated his understanding. One of her hands brushed through his hair, curling around his ear as she smiled against his lips. When she pulled away her smile was bright and happy, and she looked in his kind blue eyes. “Thank you,” she breathed. “For accepting me, I mean. I never know what people are going to think.” Her voice was soft, but her smile could tell the world how much she adored Kevin. She kissed him again briefly before standing straight.

“To answer your question,” she started with a big smile, “it’s weird. I have to wear a harness everyday to hold them in, which is uncomfortable. But to be able to fly? There’s nothing like it. I love flying. Unfortunately, it’s so risky to do it, I have to be careful about where and I can’t do it often. That’s why Megsy is so important for Avisailles; it’s secluded enough that there’s little risk of people seeing us and it’s a great place for our kind to learn to fly, since the cliffs are so high. Everyone thinks how grand it would be to fly, but the truth is, we can’t do it often. As much as I love it, if I could just be human…it would be so much easier. There wouldn’t be any hassle of having to hold them in and worrying about somebody seeing them. We always wish for what we don’t have.” She gave a soft laugh and shake of her head at the ironic statement, but it did make her a little sad sometimes that she was so different. Her eyes came to him as she picked up her fork, and she brandished it at him as her eyebrows raised. "And don't think this makes me some kind of angel or something and you have to be uncomfortable around me. I didn't earn the wings, I was just born with them. Most of the time they're nothing but a pain in my butt," she explained with a playful tone, smiling at him again. The last thing she wanted was for Kevin to be uncomfortable around her again. She speared another piece of enchilada before bringing her eyes back to him. Her appetite was coming back now that everything was on the table and Kevin didn’t hate or fear her. “Would you like to see them? After dinner, I mean,” she said almost shyly. It was a good thing she had a cami on under her shirt because otherwise…well that would mean she would be standing in her bra in front of Kevin. The thought made her cheeks burn, but her smile was still there. She’d be more than willing to show her wings if he was interested.

[KEVIN WHITFIELD]

Kevin was a little surprised when she leaned over and kissed him. It made his heart throb a little, knowing she would never stay with him. He wanted her to, but dammit she was eventually going to see he wasn't worth her time, that she could do better. Plus, she had wings! Didn't that mean she should be with someone else who has wings? Have winged babies? Could they have babies? Could he seriously father a flying child? It was dizzying the think, and he was getting ahead of himself. She wouldn't last long enough to worry about that. Kevin knew Melanie was too good for him, he was just waiting it out to see how long it took her to come up with the same conclusion.

“Thank you. For accepting me, I mean. I never know what people are going to think.” He searched her eyes as she hovered so close and then nodded, feeling momentarily soothed by her kind voice. He sighed as she kissed him once more and then pulled away. He smiled ever so slightly up at her as she started to answer his question from before.

Kevin slowly ate, eyes fixated on Melanie as she explained about her harness and how she wasn't able to fly as often as she liked. "We always wish for what we don’t have.” She said with a light laugh and he knew it was true. He always wished for things he didn't have, but Kevin had a feeling that the things he didn't have and wanted wouldn't be horrible if he had them. Both of his parents, a sister who wasn't a recovering addict, an awesome six figure job and a college education.. yeah, the grass was always greener, but Kevin suspected it was true in his case. Also, it had to be for Melanie's. Didn't she realize how amazing she was for having those wings? Then again Kevin didn't have them, and her struggles seemed legitimately hard.

"And don't think this makes me some kind of angel or something and you have to be uncomfortable around me. I didn't earn the wings, I was just born with them. Most of the time they're nothing but a pain in my butt," She said playfully, brandishing her fork like a knife and he had to laugh a little too, nodding. "That's not why I think you're an .." His eyes grew a little uncertain and he blushed, looking down at his supper. She really was a good cook.

“Would you like to see them? After dinner, I mean,” she asked sounding almost shy. His fork stopped midway to his mouth and he stared at her, his eyes wide. She would let him see them after supper? "Yes!" He said maybe a little too quickly, his voice breathy. He immediately cleared his throat and furrowing his brows, his gaze turning down for a moment before back at Melanie, his expression softening slightly. "Uhh.. I mean if you don't mind, then.. I'd really, really like to see that." He didn't want to come off as too eager lest it freaked her out. His heart fluttered suddenly with anticipation, now having to fight the urge to scarf down this delicious meal too quickly.

[MELANIE WHITFIELD]

Kevin stared at Melanie wide-eyed and she wondered if he was horrified or excited at the prospect of seeing her wings. “Yes!” His response was so hurried, she gave a big grin. He was excited! He cleared his throat, letting his eyes fall before bringing them back with a calmer expression. How on earth could one guy be so cute? “Uhh…I mean if you don’t mind, then…I’d really, really like to see that.” She smiled from ear to ear, her smile warm and sweet. “It’s settled then. I’ll show you after dinner,” she said softly. She went on eating her own, talking more about the things she had heard from the hospital, like one of the doctors being chased by an ostrich through the maternity ward. They had a good laugh over that one. She asked what he had heard, finding out that his best friend’s bar was really suffering because of the lack of business. It was a shame to hear all of the strange things that were going on and Melanie had to wonder what would come of it all.

When they were done, Kevin helped her clean up the kitchen by bringing her the dirty plates so she could rinse them and put them in the washing machine. She put the leftovers into Tupperware and put the pan she had cooked the enchiladas in into the sink to soak for a while. Kevin wiped off the table while she wiped off the counter and she was grateful she had someone there to talk to while she cleaned up and a person who would help; Brandon put the leftovers away and bolted. When everything was clean, she finished her beer and tossed the bottle in the recycling trash bin they stored next to the regular trashcan under the sink. She wasn’t drunk, but she was a lightweight when it came to alcohol, so she was buzzing after a beer, though she didn’t show any outward sign of it. She just felt more relaxed, which would be good if she was going to show her wings.

“So…you really want to see my wings?” she asked coyly, feeling playful. When he confirmed he did, she smiled wider and walked closer to him, taking his hand. “Let’s go into the family room.” She guided him along to the room off the front entrance with a wide archway for a door. There was a flat screen TV in the room and a shelf of movies and a few videogames. Brandon had a Wii and an Xbox, which were both set up on the TV stand as well, along with a DVD player and a VCR; yes, they still had a VCR for their home movies that they hadn’t upgraded to DVDs. There was another cabinet full of records with a refurbished record player on top of it and a CD player right next to it. There was a coffee table between the red couch and the TV stand. It was a cozy room and well lived in, though it wasn’t dirty.

She went to the window and closed the blinds, turning back to Kevin with an almost shy smile. “Don’t want anyone passing by to see,” she explained softly. Stepping away from the window some, she bit her lip, feeling nervous. She knew Kevin wouldn’t be mean or run away or anything…but she had to take her shirt off. Yes, she had a cami on under her shirt because she had been preparing to do this, but…well, it was still a little embarrassing. Her hands came to the hem of her shirt and with a last look up at him she pulled it over her head. Underneath she had a dark blue cami, her harness held over top of it. There were two buckles fastening it, one buckled beneath her bust, one buckled around her waist. With nimble fingers she undid the bottom buckle first, then moved to the upper one. As the harness loosened, she sighed to feel her wings allowed to stretch. They were dark brown and black, the soft light in the room making them appear blacker. They stretched out behind her first and then settled lightly against her back. She watched him the whole time her wings moved, taking in his reaction. Her smile was soft and shy, a little blush on her cheeks. “Well…what do you think?” she inquired a little anxiously.

[KEVIN WHITFIELD]

“It’s settled then. I’ll show you after dinner,”

Kevin fidgeted a little through the rest of the meal, but he ate his supper and finished his beer and talked easily with her. He found she was easy to talk to because she had funny and interesting things to say and always listened to him when he spoke. She didn't try and speak over him or make snide remarks or act judgmental. Not once did she give any indication that things might ever be bad between them, but he was cautious all the same.

Kevin had learned to be domestic over the years. He had been living without guardians for a decade now and he was no stranger to picking up after supper. He and Kelsey weren't the neatest people, and their house was typically on the messy side, but that didn't mean he didn't know how to clean. He just often chose not to, as did Kelsey, but he was more than willing to help with the cleanup at Melanie's.

“So…you really want to see my wings?” she asked when they were finished cleaning up and he blushed a little, digging his hands deep into his pockets and hunching his shoulders some as they gave a little shrug. He gave a bashful sort of nod and offered his hand when she reached for it. Hid heart raced the entire way to the family room, which was a room he felt he could easily get comfortable in. It was obvious this was where Brandon hung out and there was a part of him that wondered if Brandon would ever let him hang out in this room with him. He eyed the gaming systems hungrily, liking the idea of he and his boss playing video games while Melanie hung out and read or played with them or...anything. She could do anything as long as she was there.

He was silent as he watched her moving around, shutting the blinds and then coming back towards him, facing him and looking nervous. His stomach gave a strange jolt as she faced him. He shifted a little uneasily, his eyes blazing with intrigue and excitement, hungry to see this part of her. Her hands came to the hem of her shirt and she looked up at him, his cheeks flushing. He looked away as she pulled her shirt up over her head, peaking when he saw she had finished out of the corner of his eye. She was wearing a tank top and he let out the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. Kevin studied the buckles of the harness as she undid them and watched as she slowly peeled it off, exposing wings.

Kevin stared in shock and awe, his eyes wide, his jaw slack. Part of him hadn't fully believed her. Nor because he thought she was a liar, but because he'd never seen something like that before and he couldn't wrap his mind around the image. The feathers were long and looked soft. They were darker than he had expected them to be, appearing to be almost completely black, though upon closer look he saw the brown in them.

“Well…" He looked back at her face, still dumbfounded. "what do you think?” She asked, sounding a little anxious. Kevin was lost for words. He had no idea what to say or think or do. He looked back at her wings, shocked at what he saw. Could he get used to seeing wings on her? If at all possible, this simply made him want to be with her more. He gulped and reached out, his fingers hesitant as they stayed far at first, but he finally grew the courage to reach out and touch a single feather. "I've never seen anything like this before." He told her hoarsely. He found his courage and walked behind her wanting to see them more closely. He studied the way the grew from her shoulders, the way they heaved lightly as she breathed and bristled slightly as she moved. It was incredible!

"Will you be my girlfriend?" He blurted out hoarsely, realizing what he said and then turned crimson, laughing at himself a little as he looked away from her, biting his lip and then peaking back anxiously. He couldn't take it back now..

[MELANIE WHITFIELD]

Kevin seemed mesmerized by her wings and Melanie feared he really was afraid for a moment. But he didn’t run away; he just stood there looking at her, or rather at her wings. Melanie didn’t interrupt his thought process, just let him stare. After a minute or so he reached out and hesitantly touched a feather and she smiled. “It’s okay, you can touch them,” she said softly. “I’ve never seen anything like this before.” Melanie gave a soft giggle, glancing to her feet bashfully. Kevin made his way behind her and she watched him as he went, looking over her shoulder at him somewhat shyly. He just studied her wings, but he didn’t touch them. It was like he was afraid of offending her, which she thought was sweet but unnecessary; he wouldn’t offend her by touching them. As long as he wasn’t pulling out feathers, it was okay. Before she could tell him again that he could touch them, he said something she didn’t expect from him. “Will you be my girlfriend?”

The question hung in the air as her stomach lurched and her heart starting pumping hard, her eyes wide as she looked back at him. His face turned red and he gave a shy laugh, looking away from her for a moment before looking back. She just stared at him for a long moment, her cheeks flushed too. Then she turned to face him, the smile growing on her lips. She was beaming by the time she started nodding and she practically leapt to hug him tight around the neck. “Yes!” she exclaimed excitedly, giggling afterward. Her arms held fast around his shoulders, so happy she could just float away. When she pulled back and looked up at him, her smile was huge and bright and infectiously happy. Kevin was her boyfriend! It was like the sight of her wings made him want to be her boyfriend; they weren’t an obstacle to having one anymore. She couldn’t even explain in words how happy that made her feel. Her hands came to his face and she pulled him in for a kiss that quickly became passionate. Her heart fluttered into her throat and her hands curled into his shaggy hair. Maybe she was weak and feeling under the weather, but she was Kevin’s girlfriend now; nothing could possibly be wrong with the world.

One of her hands moved from his hair down to his stomach where she grabbed a handful of his shirt, smiling against his lips as she pulled him towards the couch. When she felt her leg bump the coffee table, she nudged Kevin to sit down before she climbed into his lap, breathing a little quickly from their deep kisses. Her face was flushed and she was nervous, but she wanted to keep kissing him and she…she didn’t really want to stop this time. And she was pretty sure Kevin wouldn’t want to either. Her hands came back to his face and she started kissing him again, more sensually this time as her hands slipped into his hair. She was so happy and giddy and she never wanted to let Kevin go. She never wanted to let her boyfriend go. When she pulled back, her forehead rested against his, her eyes still closed as her hands swept gently through his hair. “You make me really happy, Kevin,” she said in a voice barely above a whisper. She smiled gently, nuzzling her forehead into his temple. “I can’t remember ever being this happy.” Her eyes opened to his, looking at him again with her sweet smile before she kissed him once more. She had felt good kissing men before, but with Kevin it felt more than good; it felt right to kiss him.