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“How about I run you a bath, kitten?” I asked hoarsely, resting my hand on his knee through the blanket and rubbing it.

“I can do it.” He yawned and rubbed his eye, forgetting that it was injured, then hissed and cringed. My heart cracked a little.

“I’ll do it,” I said stubbornly, standing and taking his hand to help him up. I hovered awkwardly behind him while he made his way upstairs, and once he was in the bath ten minutes later, I sat on the bathroom floor beside the tub to keep him company.

I wanted to keep asking him about every tiny detail of what had happened, but I could tell he was done talking about it. He asked me how my day had been, so I recounted the match line-ups for the coming weekend and told him that Vince and Crossbody had had another bickering match, this one less explosive than the one before. They seemed to be trying to hide their animosity more, because they knew Corey was watching them now.

“What’s wrestlers’ court?” he asked with interest when I mentioned that we’d be holding one soon to try and resolve their problem with each other.

“It’s kind of how we self-govern,” I told him. “Resolving issues, discussing changes that affect all of us, that kind of stuff. There aren’t that many of us, and we all get along for the most part, so we don’t usually have arguments or disagreements to sort out, but this time…”

Rafe nodded. “Why do you think Vince and Crossbody hate each other so much?”

I draped my forearm along the lip of the tub and rested my chin on it. “I’m not sure. Just two people who clash, I guess, and close proximity at work means the resentment has been growing. Vince grew up really poor, and obviously Crossbody grew up surrounded by opulence and immense wealth. He’s a prince of the Spring Court in Otherworld, and he doesn’t let anyone forget it. I think it just really pisses Vince off.”

Rafe nodded. “I get that. It’s too easy to start projecting feelings like that outward. When I first met Teresa, I kind of resented how outgoing and friendly she was, because I knew that if I tried to act the same, I’d come off as weird and awkward. I’m just not good at it.”

I gave him a tiny smile. “You’re perfect.”

He blushed and let out a derisive snort, looking a little flustered. “But um, yeah, I didn’t feel that way for long, because she’s great. She’s not overbearing with it. Just a little loud and enthusiastic.”

“What about Neville the egg-thrower?” I raised a brow as Rafe snorted. “He seems pretty outgoing too.”

“Yeah, but Nev is like… my brother. It’s different. He’s the one person in the world who could never annoy me.”

I pouted. “What about me?”

Rafe shot me a teasing grin. “You definitely annoy me less now.”

My heart stuttered as I smiled. “I’ll take it.”

When he eventually climbed out of the tub, I went downstairs to lock up and turn off all the lights while he dried off. I hadn’t actually asked if I could stay over tonight, and he hadn’t offered, but it just seemed to be a given. A silent agreement we’d made. There was no way in hell I was going to leave him after the night he’d had.

By the time I got back upstairs, he was pulling on his pyjamas in the bedroom. I quickly stripped off and we climbed into bed, getting comfortable with me on my back and Rafe curled up into my side. Before settling, he leaned down to press a soft kiss to my mouth.

My heart squeezed, chest aching. I kissed him back carefully, not wanting to accidentally bump his nose and hurt him. He eventually pulled away and leaned over to flick off the lamp, then rested his head on my chest with a sigh.

“Night, kitten,” I whispered, threading my fingers through his hair.

“Night,” he mumbled back, squeezing my side as he dropped another kiss on my chest.

I stayed awake a long time after he fell asleep, thinking hard.

I hated thinking hard. Made me nervous.

—

“What are you going to tell people if they ask about your eye?” I asked Rafe the next morning as he was packing up his lunch for work while I sat at the kitchen island with a cup of coffee, watching him.

He shrugged, pouring tortilla chips into a container. “The truth, I guess? That Frank and Beans tried to mug me.”

My hand clenched tighter around my mug. I was still fucking angry, my insides teeming with the urge to go and do something about it. The bruise in the corner of Rafe’s eye was still small, but now a deep purple.

“Maybe you shouldn’t go in,” I said worriedly. “Maybe you should just rest today. Stay at home.”

He chuckled and shot me a wry grin. “I can’t skip work because of a tiny bruise. I’m fine.”

“But won’t you strain your eyes staring at a screen all day?” I chewed anxiously on my lower lip. “It might make it hurt more.”