“Susan Storm, his sister. She becomes the Invisible Woman, which I guess is an appropriate nickname for me.” She shrugged.
Something inside me settled at the mention of siblings, and the more I thought about it, the more sense it made. Match was the youngest patched member we had, and he had become extremely protective of Fiona. They clearly had formed an easycamaraderie, and I had a feeling he would request to stay on Fee’s morning detail even with Theo caught.
“I don’t know much about comic books, but you’re far from invisible to me.” She looked startled by that response, but I didn’t regret saying it. I knew she thought she was invisible. Fiona worked hard to blend into the background using her hair and glasses, but I saw her. Sensing her discomfort, I shifted the conversation.
“So you like comic books?” I asked as we walked into her apartment. I stepped past her to sit on the couch, claiming my spot in the apartment in case she had any doubts regarding whether I was staying or not.
She stood in her entryway looking nervous before visibly shaking herself out of it. She pulled her jacket off and kicked off her shoes before turning back to look at me.
“Yeah, comic books, anime, graphic novels, all of it. Is it okay if I change? Do you need a drink or anything?” she asked, her eyes darting all over the apartment, avoiding my face.
“I’m good. Go get yourself settled. I’m gonna call in the food.” She nodded mutely before locking herself in the safety of her bedroom. I would give that to her for the moment, not wanting to overwhelm her too much. I called the Chinese food place and ordered a multitude of dishes, knowing whatever Fee didn’t eat, Match or I would.
When she came back out, she looked adorable. She was in an oversized sweater that dropped off her shoulder, paired with loose pants made from the same material. Fuzzy purple socks completed her look as she joined me on the couch. She sat on the cushion furthest from me, curling her feet up between us. Without giving it much thought, I hauled her over to my side, closing any distance between us.
“Match should be here with the food in half an hour. You want to watch something until he gets back?” I asked, brushing a curlout of her face. She nodded, and I handed her the remote, finally breaking eye contact.
She pulled up a reality show about surviving in the wilderness, and I was surprised by the decision. We watched in companionable silence until I got the gist of the show. Soon enough, we were missing most of what was on the screen, caught up in a debate over which ten survival tools we would have chosen if we were on the show. The debate was broken up when Match arrived with the food.
With an ease I didn’t even think she realized she had, Fee welcomed Match not just into the apartment, but into the conversation quickly. She basically shoved him into the chair next to the couch, then, as she covered the coffee table with food containers, she caught Match up on the show.
It didn’t take long for the three of us to wind up in a heated conversation over our potential survival plans as we stuffed our faces with food. Fiona brought out an entirely new side of Match that I didn’t think any of the Brothers had seen before. They teased each other mercilessly, but there was an ease between them that I still slightly envied.
“Oh, wait, I forgot to ask! You know that peacock drawing you gave me? From your tattoo sketchbook? I got permission from my landlord to paint the walls. Think you could do a version of the drawing on the wall in the bedroom? I thought it would look good with the colors I already have in there,” she asked, and I looked between the two of them.
Human Torch was an accurate nickname at that moment since Match’s entire face was flaming red.
“What tattoo sketchbook?” I asked, and saw the alarm spread over Fiona’s face.
“Shit, Match, I’m sorry. That was private. I shouldn’t have said anything,” she mumbled.
Match finished chewing his food, then shrugged his shoulders, feigning nonchalance.
“It’s fine, Fee, don’t worry.” He nudged her shoulder before looking at me.
“I like to draw. I have a couple different sketchbooks, but recently started getting into tattoos. Fiona helped me find some books on the different styles so I could do some research, and forced me to show her my work.” I looked at Fee, seeing the concern in her eyes.
“He any good?” I asked, and watched her face light up.
“So good! If I wanted any tattoos, I would totally ask him to do it.” She beamed.
“If you’re serious about tattooing, let me know. I’m sure Ink Society could use an apprentice. I know they’re always looking for new artists,” I replied earnestly.
The club owned several businesses, and we were always looking to add more Brothers as employees.
“Really?” he asked, his embarrassment fading at the seriousness of the offer.
“As long as it’s okay with Dare. Any chance you’d let me see some of your stuff?” Fee hopped off the couch in an instant, running into her bedroom before returning with a thick piece of paper. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was genuinely blown away once I saw the image.
“This is really good. Like, really fucking good,” I said, looking between the drawing in my hand and his face.
“We can talk to Dare this weekend if you’re interested?” I asked, and he nodded mutely as Fiona clapped her hands in excitement.
“Yay! I’m so excited. Sorry, not sorry for blowing up your spot!” she squealed, punching Match in the shoulder.
The rest of the night was lighthearted. We finished eating, and I made plans to connect Match and Dare. When the prospectarrived to cover for Match, he left to head back to the clubhouse. He gave Fee a kiss on the head before leaving, and I couldn’t help the relief I felt at finally getting alone time with Fiona. We cleaned up together. I rinsed off the dishes before turning to watch as she put the leftovers away. Seizing the moment, I jumped into locking in my next chance to see her.
“So I’ll pick you up tomorrow and give you a ride to my parents’ for dinner? I have to go into the garage for a bit, but I should be able to leave around four,” I told her, watching as a series of emotions crossed her face.
