Page 118 of Felix

“Take it back,” he says, soothing the bite with his tongue.

“Fuck,” I breathe, my cock taking interest as Christian’s hands smooth down my back and land on my ass. “You can’t…” I huff out a breath as his lips brush underneath my jaw. “Can’t give me a boner at my parents’. It’s not allowed.”

“It could be my Christmas present,” he says, although his hands travel upwards, back into neutral territory.

“You already got your present, and ah God, do that again.”

Christian chuckles before obliging, sucking on my neck. Not long enough to leave a hickey, but enough to feel his desire to do so thrumming underneath the surface.

“I take it back,” I say on a moan. “You’re wonderful and not too cheesy, and later, you can bite my neck for real so everyone knows how proud I am of my perfectly sappy, filthy boyfriend. Okay?”

“So okay,” he says.

“Uh, Emil?”

I freeze before scrambling off Christian’s lap. Rebecca stands in the doorway, not looking remotely freaked out by what she walked in on, but I feel bad all the same.

“Hey, Bec,” I say as casually as I can. Christian adjusts his floor-length skirt next to me. “Need something?”

“Um, could we come in?” she asks, sparing a glance to her side, where I assume Henry is standing.

“Of course.”

Rebecca nods before coming into the room, Henry following after her with his video game in hand. “Move over,” my sister tells me, shoving me none too gently so she can join us on the window seat. I huff a laugh as Henry settles on the floor, his shoulder bumping my leg.

“What’s going on?” I ask.

“I overheard part of your conversation with Mom and Dad,” Rebecca says, making my gut swoop. “So I asked Christian what it was about, and he explained.”

Christian gives me an apologetic wince, but I shake my head, letting him know it’s fine.

Rebecca heaves out a breath. “Can I tell you a story?”

Confused, I nod. “Okay?”

My sister settles her legs under her before she starts to speak. “Once, there was this prince named Emilio.”

I huff a laugh, but my sister shushes me, swatting my leg before going on.

“Emilio,” she stresses, “had the weight of the world on his shoulders. For, you see, he was an older brother, and his siblings looked up to him. When they were scared, Emilio calmed them. When they had nightmares, he snuck into their rooms and told them tales of ogres and giants and princesses in castles. And he never once asked for anything in return.”

My throat closes up as Rebecca tells her story, her gaze on her hands in her lap.

“Emilio was so brave, but he didn’t seem to realize it. He was brave because he fought battles all on his own. He was brave because he scared away the monsters under the bed. He was brave because he taught two little kids what it means to love from a place that’s pure and selfless and kind. He was my hero, you see.”

Fuck. Christian grabs my hand when I reach for him, and he squeezes tight.

“But sometimes, heroes go unseen,” Rebecca says solemnly. “They never ask for accolades or parades in their honor. So that’s why Emilio’s little sister wants him to know that she appreciates him. More than she’s ever found the words to say. And she loves him. And some day, if she becomes a mom, she’ll tell her kids all about their uncle, the prince, the bravest man she knows. The best storyteller. And hopefully, Emilio will know that there are people out there who are better because of him.”

My sister doesn’t protest in the least when I pull her into my arms. She hugs me back, sniffling quietly as I lose the battle against my own tears. Henry is still holding his game, but he stopped playing the moment Rebecca started talking, and his hand is curled around my leg, a hug in its own right.

“Thank you,” I manage to tell them.

Sometimes people are capable of surprising you. They show up when you need them the most. My parents, my siblings, Christian… They showed up for me today.

I’ve never been very good at change. New shells. New homes. Speaking up simply because it’s time.

But change can be good. Great, even.

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