by Charley Case
“What’s up, boss?” She didn’t look up from her game.
“Do you want to stay tonight? You can sleep here on the couch.” He patted the back of the gray sectional. “I can attest to its comfort. We’re well-acquainted.”
She dropped the phone in her lap, peered at him, and clutched her hands together. “Really?”
Finn nodded. “Yup. But…” He held a finger up to forestall her excitement. “First, you have to take a shower and wash your clothes.” He gestured at the washer.
She followed his gaze to the machine tucked into an alcove beside the locker room entrance. “That would be amazing!”
“Penny, you put a towel and some clothes in for her?”
“Chi chi.” Penny nodded, still lounging on the couch.
Remmy squealed. She jumped up and pulled her hoodie and grimy white t-shirt off in one go. She kicked her shoes off and dropped her pants before anyone could stop her.
“Alrighty then,” Mila said as everyone averted their eyes.
Finn did the same when she squatted, scooped her things up, and sprinted to the washer. She stood tippytoe and dumped the load in the top, then scurried into the locker room. Finn caught a glimpse of her naked backside before it disappeared around the corner. It shocked him to see intricate tattoos all over her back. He’d never seen a goblin so decorated.
“Well, that was…something.” Danica laughed. “I think I’ll need another one of these to wash my eyeballs with now.” She held up the beer and drank the rest, then headed toward the fridge.
“Bring me one?” Mila said. She walked around the couch and flopped down. “Turns out goblin asses are cuter than mine, and I want to forget that fact.”
Finn laughed. “You obviously have never had a good look at your butt.”
Mila turned and gave him a cheeky smile. “You say the sweetest things, Finn.”
He turned red and quickly finished his beer. “Bring me one too, Danica?”
“Need to forget that last line?” she said from the kitchen.
“Yeah. Something like that.” He sighed.
Mila laughed.
Chapter Sixteen
Mila accepted the beer and patted the seat beside her. “You going to join us?”
Danica eyed her, then Finn, who had taken the seat beside Mila and was still blushing from his comment. “I think I’ll head to my room. I have a book I want to finish before we leave. Finn can cuddle you.” She made kissy faces at Mila and jabbed her thumb toward Finn.
Mila looked to see if Finn had seen, but he was avoiding eye contact at the moment and oddly rapt with the label on his bottle.
Mila made an angry face at Danica, who giggled and shooed Mila with her hand as if to say ‘go on, get him.’ Out loud, she said, “Mila, why don't you tell Finn about what you picked up at the store today?”
Mila’s cheeks flushed, and she squirmed on the couch, abruptly aware of the new cheeky panties beneath her pants. “Will you shut the fuck up and go to your room already?”
Danica laughed and waved. “Goodnight, you two. See you in the morning.” She used a singsong voice as she walked to her bedroom.
Mila watched her go, her cheeks red and fist balled up.
“You went to the store? That could have been dangerous.”
She turned to see Finn with concern on his face and let out a nervous laugh. “It was fine. Hermin teleported us to the mall, so there wasn't any chance of being followed.” She took a sip of beer to cover her embarrassment.
“I suppose that’s a pretty safe way of getting there. We should have someone teach Danica that spell. She doesn't have a lot of spells that aren’t medical related. Anyway, that’s a subject for another time. What did you guys get at the mall?”
Mila took another long drink and glanced away, her cheeks renewing their fire.
“Are you okay? You look flush. Is it the headaches?”
“No. They’re less frequent, but I still get a pain here and there.” She felt bad for misleading him but no way was she about to discuss the bag of new undergarments in her room. She wanted to kill Danica.
He pulled her shoulder toward him. “Here, lay down. I’ll rub your head.”
She set her beer on the coffee table and rested her head on his lap. Mila closed her eyes as he started rubbing her scalp and temples. She let out a small groan of pleasure, then situated on her back better.
The pressure of tiny feet on her stomach made her look down.
Penny climbed up on her and plopped down on her abs, resting her small dragon head between her breasts. “Chi?”
Mila patted Penny's side. “You’re good. Surprised me is all.”
Laying her head back down as Finn continued rubbing, they sat in silence for a few minutes, Remmy’s faint singing in the shower the only sound. Mila felt herself drifting off.
“She deserves better,” Finn said, his tone low and quiet.
“Who?” Mila asked, her eyes still closed.
“Remmy. Her and her people aren’t able to assimilate with normal Peabrain society. Even with a concealment spell, they’re too different looking. A few hours at a time is fine, people write it off as an oddity, but they can't live aboveground.”
Mila gazed up to see him staring toward the locker room with a pensive expression. She felt a spike of emotion that confused her for a second. It took her a few beats to recognize it, and she realized she felt proud of Finn. Why she should feel pride at his words, she couldn’t say. He was talking about something horrible, then it hit her. She was proud that not only did he see the problem, he wanted to do something about it. His empathy and natural leadership was coming to the surface.
“So…what do we do about it?” Mila reached up and stroked his shoulder.
Finn's frown deepened. He peered at her. “I don't know. The problem isn’t just with goblins. Most races can mix with Peabrains fine. Look at Danica. You lived with her for years and had no clue. Some of them have other traits, though. Makes normal society a challenge.”
“What do you mean?”
“The selkies, for example.” He took a drink while still rubbing her head with the other hand. “They don't need a concealment spell. They can shift into human form, but they’re a species and don't feel comfortable unless they’re together. Sure, they’re okay for short periods, but long term, selkies need the pack. So, Kevin gathered them into a gang, which has its own set of problems. Same thing with the orcs and goblins and any other tribal race. For a lot of species, tribal life is a physical need as much as a social one.”
Mila observed the pain in Finn’s eyes, and she wished she knew how to relieve it. She knew how he felt about the disenfranchised, Finn being an exile himself. He knew what it meant to be unwelcome and unwanted, and he didn’t like thinking about others dealing with that same pain.
“How do we help them?”
He stared into her eyes. “You really are something special, you know that?”
Mila blushed.
“That’s the problem,” he continued. “I don't see how we can help them. There are millions of people across the globe facing these same issues. That’s why the Dark Star’s message is gaining steam. The problem is too big for one dwarf to fix.”
They were homing in on something familiar. Mila had volunteered for plenty of causes over the years, giving her a frame of reference for this kind of problem. “That’s just it,” she said. “It is too big to fix. If you look at it on a global scale. Like you said, you’re one dwarf. You need to think smaller at first.” She pointed to the locker room where Remmy’s warbling voice accompanied the running water. “In there right now is a goblin girl taking her first shower in a long time, and from the sound of it, loving every second. You changed something today for her.”
Finn nodded, staring off, deep in thought. “Yeah, but it’s only temporary.”
“Shir shi, chi?” Penny lifted her head and cocked it.
“That’s a good idea,” Mila said, her eyes going wide. “We could start
buying properties. That way we can help the ones that can't work regular jobs. It’s a start, right?” Mila smiled at Penny.
Finn gave them both an odd look.
“What?” she said. “Is that a dumb idea?”
He glanced back and forth between them, then shook his head. “No, it’s a great idea. Penny’s pretty smart.”
He was hinting at something, but Mila didn’t follow. Finn sighed when he saw she wasn't getting it. “Good thing Penny said something. Right?”
Mila lifted her head to stare at Penny, who returned the stare. “I understood you! Not like the little bits from context, but actually understood you! Say something else.”
“Shir chi shee?” Penny gazed at her, a smile on her face.
Mila frowned. “Say it again.”
“Shir. Chi. Shee.” The tiny dragon enunciated each word.
Mila shook her head and let it drop into Finn's lap. “What the fuck? How can I understand her one second then nothing the next?”
Finn stroked her hair. “Don’t worry too much about it. Her language is beyond difficult and uses a lot of magic to get the meaning across. This is a good thing. It means you have access to at least a small bit of your peabrain.”
“I suppose that is good news.” She tilted her head and smiled at him. “You do know how to make me feel better. Don't you, you big charmer?”
He laughed. “Well, I might be a charmer, but I just had a thought. We will need to ward any place we buy to keep the occupants safe and unnoticed, which can take a lot of time, since right now, Penny is our only warder.”
“Chi chi!” Penny nodded wearily.
“I know, it takes a lot out of you, and we appreciate all the work,” Finn said, before turning his gaze to Mila. “So, what if we start with this building? We could buy the whole thing and start renovating the condos for group living. The occupants would be safe, and we would have people to watch our backs. Maybe even set up some workshops so the tenants could make some extra money selling stuff. I know the selkies have a couple of good businesses. They could teach others.”
Mila thought it might be odd to have a bunch of magicals as neighbors, but she saw the advantages. People watching their backs sounded great, what with all the assassins and mercs coming after them.
“I love it.” Mila lifted a hand and stroked his cheek. “Let’s do it.”
Finn smiled and vibrated with renewed energy. Mila marveled at the change in him from a minute ago. He might not realize it, but she could see plain as day, he needed to help those in need. It was how he dealt with injustice in the world. He was a true prince.
He was her prince.
The words came out before she could stop them. “Do you want to go out?”
He furrowed his brow at her. “What?”
She felt her face redden. What was it she had told him when they first met? In for a penny, in for a pound. “On a date. You want to go on a real date with me?”
His face sobered, and a smile appeared. “You want to go on a date with me?”
“Why wouldn't I?”
He gazed across the room at nothing. “I’m not a good person, Mila.”
She laughed. “Are you kidding me? You just decided to buy a whole building to provide for those less fortunate to give them a home. If that’s not good, I don't know what is.”
He brushed a stray lock of hair from her face. “I’ve done terrible things. Things that would change your opinion of me.”
She gave him a stern look and laid a hand on his cheek. “We all have a past, Finn. Things we don't want others to know about, things we think would ruin us if they ever got out. That doesn't change who we are. Everyone’s fucked up. Everyone has shame and doubt and fear. That doesn't make us less. It makes us more.”
“You don't understand…”
She sat up, placing Penny on her lap and sitting cross-legged facing Finn. She put a hand on both his cheeks, making him look at her. “You were used by your father as a weapon. You’re right, I don't know the details, but I don't have to. I know you’re a good man because you walked away from that life knowing you would lose everything, and you did it anyway.”
He gazed at her with eyes deeper than the ocean and full of a dark past.
Mila’s heart broke for him, but he needed to see he wasn't that person anymore. “Since the day I met you, you’ve been nothing but kind and respectful to me and everyone around you. You are good. The only one who doesn't believe it is you. We love you. Me, Penny, Danica, hell, I’m willing to bet money Remmy loves you too. It’s time you loved yourself.”
She gazed at him and, as the time drew out, his eyes softened. A slight smile touched his face, and he put his hands on hers, guiding them from his face to his lap. “You’re right. The past is the past. Not much I can do about it now. I need to move forward from who I was and become someone new.”
“Not become someone new, Finn. You already are. Now you need to forgive yourself so you can heal. Carrying your past is like trying to run a marathon with a big bleeding gash in your thigh. You’re not going to get far. It has to heal first.”
“You’re pretty smart, Dr. Winters.”
She gave him a huge smile.
“Okay, so how do I do that?”
“By taking me out on a date, you big idiot.”
He laughed, and she leaned in and wrapped her arms around his neck. They smiled at one another for a few seconds. “Now would be an excellent time to kiss me, in case you were wondering,” she whispered.
And, for the first time, they truly kissed. Not a good luck kiss or a pre-battle jitters peck or because they thought they might die. It was a kiss meant to be a kiss, purely and deeply, and Mila lost herself in it.
“Hey, boss, I can come back after the hanky panky, if you want,” Remmy said.
Mila and Finn’s eyes opened at the same time. Mila backed away, putting some distance between them to look at Remmy, her white hair still wet. She wore one of Finn's black t-shirts big as a dress or a nightgown, and she shifted on her feet beside the couch, unsure what she should do.
Finn and Mila regarded one another then burst out laughing.
“Have a seat, Remmy,” Mila said.
“Yeah. No hanky panky going on, whatever that is,” Finn added.
Mila gave him a sly look. “Not tonight, anyway.”
The room filled with Penny’s and Mila's laughter at Finn’s sudden deer-in-headlights expression.
Chapter Seventeen
Settled onto the couch, Remmy began playing her game again, unaware of the significance of what she had interrupted. Finn’s shirt looked like an oversized dress on her tiny frame, even the short sleeves were down around her wrists.
Finn half-wanted to strangle the little goblin and half-wanted to thank her. He glanced at Mila’s flush face. She was draining the last of her beer, although her eyes gazed sidelong at him. After the bottle came away from her lips, she smiled.
No one had ever seen his fears like she had, and she still wanted more of him. Maybe he had been selling himself short. He would work hard to be the man she believed him to be. On that note, he decided they should get back to the matter they had been discussing earlier.
“How would we go about buying the building?” he asked and sipped from his bottle.
“I have no idea,” Mila said, more comfortable now that he was moving the conversation along. “I winged it with the condo. We need someone who knows how to even begin.”
“Squee chir chi,” Penny said from her lap, glancing between Mila and Finn.
Finn raised an eyebrow. “You have a personal assistant?”
“Personal assistant?” Mila mimicked, looking at Penny. “You have a personal assistant?”
“Shir shee shee. Chi chi.”
Finn laughed, and Mila waited for a translation. “She hired an assistant for us. Technically, they work for the goldmine we set up. Her name is Grace, and she’s been helping Penny acquire some hard-to-find gear.” He pulled out his phone and handed
it to Penny, who navigated the menus and pulled up the contact, which was already entered in his phone. He took it and raised an eyebrow. “She knows who I am?”
Penny nodded and pointed to Mila. “Shee shir.”
“She said you have this Grace’s contact info on your phone as well.”
Mila pulled her phone from her pocket and scrolled it as Finn composed a text. He appreciated being able to communicate without having to talk in person. He mouthed words as he thumbed the screen, so they would know what he was typing. “Hello, Grace. This is Finn. Penny said she hired you to be our assistant. I need to find out how to buy our condo building and all the condos in it right away.” He hit send, put the phone down, and grinned. “Probably won’t hear back for a whi—”
The phone chimed. He glanced at a reply. “Hello, Finn. Good to meet you! Penny has said great things. I can start the paperwork to buy the building and set up a negotiation for the price with the owners. What is the max you want to spend?”
He stared at the screen. “Well, shit. That was fast.” He replied he would leave the amount up to her, but he would like to get the building quick as possible.
Penny gave him a smug look. “Squee chi, shir?”
“You’re right. She’s good. We should have hired her a long time ago.” He gave her a fist bump.
“I still can't believe you hired an assistant.” Mila reeled from the revelation, even if Finn was used to Penny doing things like this without him. “How do you communicate? I assume she doesn't speak dragon.”
“Chi shir.” Penny mimicked typing.
“Wait…you type in English?” Mila shook her head to clear it. “Of course you do. Why didn't I think of that? You’re on the internet constantly. You would have to know how to write English. Why didn't we think of this? We can really speed up the process of me learning your language.”
Penny waggled a hand in a ‘kind of’ motion.
“Penny's language is magical,” Finn explained. “A typed translation won’t really help because there’s not much meaning to the sounds she makes without the magic. Thats why our ears only hear a handful of sounds when she speaks.” Finn didn’t like seeing Mila's defeated expression. “But hey, still a great way to communicate in a pinch.”
