JM BENAVIDEZ

Lael stood next to me and looked down into my eyes. "So what now?" I smiled. "I guess we should go get your stuff so you can change out of those wrinkly jeans you slept in." Elijah shook his head laughing. "You guys are on your own with that one." As Elijah walked away, Lael looked down at me. "Since when do you care about wrinkly clothes?" I shook my head laughing. "I don't." Lael tapped me on my nose. "So you're just trying to get me naked then?" Out of the corner of my eye I caught Zuriel stiffen at the door a few feet away and I turned towards him. "Is there a problem?" He clenched his fists and backed up stalking towards me. He lowered his voice as he glared into my eyes. "Would you just fuck him and get it over with? Nobody wants to hear your bedroom talk." I grit my teeth and Lael placed his hand on my shoulder. "Just ignore him." Zuriel nodded. "Yes please, pretend I have ever been where he is." Lael stiffened and I placed a hand on his chest smiling up at him. "He's just pissed because he has never, ever been where you are. He's not capable of it." 

I shot Zuriel a warning glance as I stepped past him, pulling Lael by the hand. Lael stopped and looked into Zuriel's eyes. "If you ever look at her much less speak in a disrespectful manner again, I will beat your ass into the pavement little brother." Zuriel laughed, obviously amused because in size he was the larger of the two, even though Lael was older. I whirled around and punched Zuriel in his jaw, knocking him to the ground. I stood over him, raging as Lael wrapped his arms around my waist. "Size is nothing you arrogant son of a bitch!" I screamed, punching and kicking the air as I tried to free myself from Lael's grasp. Zuriel wiped the blood from his lip with the back of his hand and then stood up, looking up at me with a mixture of shame and embarrassment. I stopped flailing and Lael looked down at me. "Are you done?" I glared at Zuriel. "Fuck what he said, I'll beat your ass and let him have the leftovers." I shook my head still furious. "I thought I wanted to stay friends, but apparently you're incapable of thinking with anything other than your dick. Why don't you do everyone a favor and go fuck yourself." I shook off Lael and stormed out of the dining room.

I ignored the commotion in the dining room as I stomped down the path towards my home. Everyone in the realm had witnessed my outburst and although I felt completely justified I was a little embarrassed about what had flown out of my mouth. Lael and Dardariel came jogging up the path after me. "Meira wait." I stopped and turned towards Lael and Dardariel held out his hand. "Let me see your hand." I wrinkled my brows. "I think I'd prefer it if you left it alone." He smiled holding out his hand. "I just want to make sure you didn't break it, you socked the shit out of him." I smiled and Lael nodded. "You did, you split his lip too." I gave Dardariel my hand and he pressed on my knuckles. I winced as my dad walked up behind them. "Does it hurt?" Dardariel asked. "Yeah, but I just punched a rock, so it should right?" 

My dad frowned. "You punched a rock too?" Lael laughed. "No, she meant Zuriel's face." My dad nodded. "I'm sure he deserved it, but I really wish you wouldn't hit people. Your mom is freaking out." I looked up into my dad's eyes and he smiled. "That was a great shot though. I was proud of you." Dardariel bent my fingers and I jerked my hand. He nodded. "I think you broke it." I hung my head and my dad put his hand on my shoulder. "Was it worth it?" I looked up at him. "What breaking my hand to punch Zuriel in his smug face after what he said?" My dad nodded. "Hell yes it was. I just wish I'd have knocked him out instead of just on his ass." My dad frowned. "Meira, language." I shrugged. "Sorry." My dad nodded to Dardariel. "Can you fix it?" He nodded. "Of course I can. The question is does she want me to?" My dad wrinkled his face. "Why wouldn't she?" I grinned. "Keepsake." 

My dad shook his head. "Stop being childish and let him fix your hand. It's bad enough to have one of you running around injured. Your mom will have a tantrum if you are too." I looked up at my dad and then at Dardariel. "You aren't going to heal his beautiful face?" My dad laughed. "Are you kidding? Mendrion grabbed him by the scruff and told him to go put ice on it. He's keeping that one." I puffed out my chest triumphantly and then nodded at my uncle. "By all means, heal away." My dad shook his head looking at Lael. "You sure you want her?" Dardariel raised an eyebrow and Lael wrapped his arm around my shoulders. "Without a doubt." Dardariel clasped his hands over my hand chanting softly and my hand got warm as the pain subsided. He released my hand. "Good as new." I flexed my hand, opening and closing my fingers. "Thank you, it feels like I never hit him." Dardariel nodded, smiling. "Just do us all a favor and stop showing up our guys ok." I nodded and he headed back towards the kitchen.

My dad stood there staring at me as my mom stepped out onto the walkway. I expected her to be furious until I met her eyes. She walked up and wrapped her arms around me, hugging me tightly. "You really broke two fingers?" I smiled wiggling my two little fingers at her. "Dardariel patched me up." She nodded. "You should hear the tongue lashing Mendrion is giving Zuriel in the kitchen. He is pissed." I hung my head. "It's my dream all over again." I placed my hand on Lael's arm. "I love you." He whispered and I nodded. "I love you too." My mom cast me a curious glance and I walked past her towards the kitchen.

I could hear Mendrion's voice roaring through the dining room, although I couldn't make out what he was saying. I pushed open the kitchen door and he whirled towards me, stopping mid word. "You know, everyone out there can hear you yelling. Don't you think his ego has been bruised enough?" Both Mendrion and Zuriel twitched, looking at me. Mendrion turned and pointed at his son. "You fix this." Zuriel nodded obediently and Mendrion looked at me. "How's your hand?" I held my hand up. "Dardariel patched me up." He nodded and left the kitchen. I walked over to where Zuriel was leaning against the counter icing his lip. "Let me see it." He dropped the ice and I grinned. Not only did he have a split fat lip, but he was bruising nicely. "I guess it makes up for the two broken fingers." He grabbed my hand and I wiggled my fingers. "All better now." 

Zuriel dropped my hand, putting the ice back on his lip with a wince. I hopped up onto the counter beside him, looking down at him thoughtfully. "I thought you didn't want to be friends?" His voice was soft and strangled. I shook my head, rubbing my palms against my knees. "I get it. I don't agree with it but I get it and I can't hold it against you." I shrugged. "That and I hate seeing your dad yell at you because of me." He smiled and hissed when it pulled his cut. I frowned down at him. "Don't take things out of context. I'm with Lael and that isn't going to change." He nodded thoughtfully. "You didn't even ask where I was going to take you." 

He looked up at me, with fire returning to his eyes. "You never give me the chance to stick up for myself. You always shut me down like my opinion doesn't count." He dropped the ice from his lip, turning to face me. "That morning after I spent the night with you and again the morning I came to take you out for our date." He wrinkled his brows staring at me. "I'm not arrogant, I'm human and you make me feel small and insignificant." He shook his head. "So yeah, I act out, puff up, talk tough and try to impress you. I'm jealous and immature and I have flaws just like you do. If you'd ever look past my face, maybe you'd see that. There was a moment when you knew that. But unfortunately for me it was brief and fleeting." 

Several faces peeked through the side window, curious about the quarrel going on in the kitchen. Aureliana and Lael weren't among them. I shook my head. "What about Aureliana?" He shrugged. "What about her?" I frowned. "Did you take her?" He shook his head. "No, I did that for you." He looked up into my eyes pleadingly. "Get Lael. Let me take you both. And then if you still hate my guts I'll give up." I ran my hand back through my hair, turning my face away from him as I considered what he was asking. "I've asked Lael to move in with me." Zuriel shook his head. "So?" I shook my head. "If and I say if grudgingly. If I agree to go with you, that doesn't mean I'm considering changing my mind." He nodded. "I understand that." I rubbed my face briskly. "Do you have any idea how many people this is going to piss off?" I looked into his eyes. "Just indulging you. Do you?" He placed his hand over mine on my knee. "Just once Meira. Just once will you let me speak for myself?" He shook his head, begging me with his eyes. "That's all I'm asking." 

I hopped down off the counter. "You need to apologize." I looked at him sternly. "And not just to me." He nodded and I threw my hands in the air. "I'll go get Lael. You better make it right or I'm not giving you the time of day." He nodded. "I will." I shook my head. "I can't believe I'm letting you get me to even consider this." I pointed at him as I headed back to the door. "Don't move." I frowned. "And put the damn ice back on." He nodded. "As long as you don't hit me again." I snorted and he smiled. When I walked out into the dining room, Lael was the only one in the room. He was sitting at a table in the farthest corner from the kitchen with his arms crossed over his chest. He looked up at me and I sighed as I crossed the room to him. He held his hand out to me, smiling. "There wasn't any screaming or crashing so I figured you could handle it." 

I sighed as I took his hand and leaned up against his chair. "So, he's in pretty bad shape." Lael looked up at me. "Are you alright?" I shook my head. "He says I never give him the chance to speak up for himself, that I always steam roller over him." Lael ran his hand over the back of mine. "Do you?" I chuckled. "I just punched him in the face. What do you think?" He leaned his head against my side. "Did he apologize at least?" I looked down at him. "That's why I'm here. I told him he needed to make it right with you too." Lael nodded and stood to his feet. "Alright." 

I wrinkled my face. "There's one other thing." He looked down at me. "I still love you." I smiled. "I know it." He shook his head. "Whatever it is, we'll get through it." I looked up at him. "He wants us to go with him to wherever he was going to take me on our date. I never gave him the chance and he has it stuck in his mind that it will change everything for me because I never see him." Lael smiled. "It sucks when people use your own tactics against you doesn't it?" I scrunched my face, tilting my head sideways. "What?" He laughed wrapping his arms around my shoulders. "Come on, you punched the guy in the face. The least you can do is let him take you to whatever magic he created for your date." I sighed and let him lead me back into the kitchen. 

Zuriel looked up as we entered and Lael smiled. "She got you pretty good didn't she?" Zuriel nodded and Lael crossed the room towards him. "Let's see her handiwork." Zuriel dropped the ice and Lael shook his head, looking at me sternly. "Was that really necessary? You really need to make up for that." He smiled at Zuriel knowingly and I shook my head, putting my hand on my hips. "Whose side are you on?" Lael turned towards me. "I'm on yours love, always yours." He smiled, knowing the affect his words had on me. "That's not fair." I pouted as Zuriel looked back and forth between us, confused by the conversation that was obviously meant to be over his head. He set the ice on the counter and looked up at us. "I'm sorry for being such an asshole. There is no excuse for my behavior and I'm really sorry I offended you both." Lael met Zuriel's eyes. "I'll accept your apology, but she's the one you have to make it up to. You broke more than two of her fingers." Zuriel nodded solemnly. "I know it." 

I looked at Lael and he nodded. I hung my head sighing. "Alright, take us to see whatever it is you want us to see." Zuriel lifted his head looking at me. "Really?" I nodded and motioned towards Lael. "You can thank him. I still think you're an asshole." Zuriel smiled at my playful tone. "I can work with that." I met his eyes. "This doesn't change anything. I'm just going to hear you out." He nodded. "Thank you." I smirked. "And I reserve the right to blacken your eye." Lael snickered and Zuriel hung his head laughing. "Ok, but only if you use your left hand so the bruising is spread out evenly." Lael smiled. "I think the bruising actually improves your face." Zuriel nodded smiling back. "You would."