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“I’m sorry I’m so nervous. I’m really stuck in my head right now.”

“Come here,” I murmur softly, tugging him close. Before he can overthink things, I kiss him.

Thane makes a strangled noise before his body completely melts in his seat. His hand comes up, resting against my wrist. He kisses back softly, completely giving himself over to it.

When I pull back, he whines softly, making me smile. I give him one last peck before looking into those golden eyes I adore so much.

“You’re okay,” I whisper softly. “I’m here to support you however you need, even if that means just sitting in the car the whole night while you spend time with your siblings.”

“No,” he says right away, still holding onto my wrist. “I want you to come in and meet them.”

“Then I’m right beside you.”

“Thank you, Maverick. This means so much to me.”

“It means a lot that you’re letting me meet them.”

We share a smile before Thane gets out of the car. I follow behind, tucking my hands into my pockets so I’m not tempted to reach out and take Thane’s hand.

Stepping into the gymnasium feels overwhelming. The smell of popcorn and sweat hits my nose, the sounds coming from the gymnasium slamming into us through the open doors in front of us. There are a few people mingling around the corridor but mostly, people are already sitting in the stands, watching the teams warm up.

“Thane!”

I take a step back as someone comes barrelling through the corridor, throwing themselves into Thane’s arms. Something swells inside my chest as I watch Thane hug this person, holding them tight.

“Jesus, I’ve missed you,” Thane murmurs into the kid’s hair before setting him on his feet.

This must be Thane’s younger brother, Bax. He’s a lot shorter than Thane and apparently he’s human. Thane never said that but I guess it’s kind of fucked up for me to assume. His dad is human, after all.

“I’m glad you’re here. Blaire was worried you’d have class or something but I knew you’d make it. You always pull through for us.”

“I do my best,” Thane says, running his fingers over Bax’s short, dark hair. “Fuck, have you grown since I’ve been gone?”

Bax shoves Thane’s hand away. “You’ve been gone for like two months. Don’t be dramatic.”

“I’m being serious!”

The two of them grin at each other. My stomach is a mess. My heart starts to race. I can’t pull my eyes away from Thane. He’s beautiful when he smiles like that. I’m overwhelmed by the emotions hitting me square in the chest.

Bax turns towards me, his eyes darting between me and Thane. “So,” Bax says slowly, a grin spreading across his face. “Who’s this, Thane?”

“Oh, umm,” Thane’s face turns that delightful purple color I’m so fond of. “This is Maverick. He was kind enough to drive me down.”

“Wow. How very friendly of you, Maverick.”

“Bax, I swear to every god out there,” Thane murmurs under his breath.

“Go,” Bax says with a laugh, shoving Thane towards the gymnasium. “You need to go meet up with Blaire so she can tell you what’s expected. We’ll grab some popcorn and find a good seat.”

“Be nice to him,” Thane says, narrowing his eyes at his brother.

“I think I can handle spending some time with your little brother,” I tell Thane, resting a hand on his arm. I give him a little squeeze. “Plus, it’ll give us time to exchange embarrassing stories.”

Thane groans as he walks away towards the gym entrance. I watch him go until he disappears before looking over at Bax who’s watching me. He might be a teenager but I feel pinned in place, flayed open under his watchful gaze.

“Popcorn?” I ask, gesturing towards the concession stand.

“Yes, please. We should get a bag for Thane as well.”