The other crime scenes were a bust, but that did not put a dampener on Saint’s mood.
It was nice not to be rolling home with disappointment and frustration hanging like clouds over their heads.
Teddy followed Saint into the house, immediately hearing Echo wailing down the corridor and Heir’s terse replies.
“It’s a new mole!”
“It’s not.”
“It is!”
“That’s always been on your arm, you—”
“I better go intervene,” Teddy said quickly.
“Meet me upstairs,” Saint said, one hand on the banister. “I’ll turn Echo’s ocean noises on in their bedroom.”
Teddy nodded. “I’ll send them straight up with some tea.”
Saint nodded, taking a few steps. “Oh, and tell Heir to stop being such a dickface every second of every day.”
“It’s his daily affirmation at this point. I’ll try and get him to cool it.”
Saint huffed, stomping his way up.
Teddy sighed, rubbing his temples when no one was looking.Keep it together, Teddy. Steeling himself, he ran a hand throughhis thick locks and pushed them off his forehead, feeling them bounce back immediately.
He rounded the corner into the kitchen to find Echo looking shaken and teary and Heir red-faced and growling.
“Hey, guys, what’s going on?” he asked, keeping his tone level.
“They’re insane!” Heir exploded. “That’s what’s going on. I don’t know why you and the rest of the house mollycoddle them. Every day there’s something wrong with them and it’s not even real!”
Teddy frowned, stepping closer to Echo to support them. It was hard to stay neutral when Heir acted like this. “That’s completely uncalled for, Heir. Just because you get ticked off doesn’t mean you can unload it on everyone else when it suits you.”
“You’re just proving my point. You enable their behavior.”
“And you pick on them, so where does that leave us?” Teddy found himself snapping back.
Heir grunted, snatching his jacket off the back of the stool. “Whatever. I’m out of here. Have fun dealing with the lunatic.”
Teddy blew a long breath out of his nose, closing his eyes. When he opened them again Echo was still in the same position, curled into themself against the counter.
Teddy pushed his own exhaustion aside and laid a hand on their arm. “Are you okay?”
Echo nodded quickly and Teddy smiled. “You don’t have to pretend. And don’t listen to Heir; he’s just having some big feelings today. There’s nothing wrong with you.”
Echo peeked up at him.
“Sometimes your anxieties can get the best of you, but you’re not invalid for having some. We’ll help you manage them.”
Echo nodded more slowly this time, chewing on their lip.
“Did you want someone to look at your arm?” Teddy asked.
Echo held it out, still nonverbal but incrementally relaxing. Teddy pushed their cardigan up and counted every mole. “Exactly seven. Just like last time.”
“You’re sure?” Echo croaked.
