Page 74 of Pain
"Eww, Dad, pizza is so much better." She shoved him playfully. "So, can we go?"
"Yep, let me walk in and talk to Carter for a second, then I'll be out. You okay here with Xan?"
"Yep." She leaned against the wall.
As he walked inside, he wondered what the two of them would talk about. This was not the way he wanted Faith to find out, but after seeing her reaction, maybe it was easier this way. Xander hadn't seemed upset, and he'd taken control of the situation by not pulling away like two guilty teenagers like Matt would have done. He treated Faith like an adult, not lying to her or trying to make it look like something it wasn't. The only issue now was how Xander felt about Faith thinking they were dating.
"I'm heading out. You guys okay?" He stood behind Carter and Bryon.
"Yep, thanks for your help. Hopefully, we can get enough information now to take this ring down." Bryon glanced back at him. "Faith okay?"
"Yeah, she's with Xander. She had fun downstairs."
"I bet. That place was built for kids. Maybe big ones like the team, but it's still a cool place."
"Thanks for letting her hang." Matt gave a wave. "Call me if you need anything."
He walked out, excited to spend the evening with Faith and Xander. He'd missed Xander over the last few days, and it would make it easier now that Faith wouldn't be shocked if they kissed or held hands. He wondered if she was confused that he liked a man now after years of being married to her mother, but that was a conversation for another time. He needed to think about how to bring that up and talk to her about the whole liking boys and girls thing.
"Ready?" Matt gripped Faith's shoulder.
"Yep, can I pick the movie tonight?" Faith walked with them toward their cars.
Matt and Xander exchanged amused glances. "You can pick."
"Yay!" Faith got into the passenger seat of the car.
Matt turned to Xander. "Thank you for handling that so well. I didn't expect her to see us."
"It's for the best." Xander cupped Matt's face. "Now I don't have to hide this." He dipped his head and kissed Matt softly. When he pulled back, he continued to hold Matt's face in his hands. "Anything I should get on the pizzas?"
"Faith hates mushrooms, but anything else is good." Matt pressed his cheek to Xander's hand. "Thanks for being so good to her."
"She makes it easy." Xander kissed him again before stepping back. "See you in a half an hour."
Matt nodded, watching Xander stride toward his car, wondering when they could steal some alone time together because the taste he'd gotten of Xander today only increased his desire for more. Faith had to come first, but as soon as he found time, he was going to make sure Xander knew just how much he missed him.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Xander nodded to Faith as she slept on the makeshift bed she'd made of pillows and blankets on the floor. "She looks so peaceful."
Matt leaned closer to Xander, nestling tighter against his side. "I wish it would last. She wakes up every few hours with nightmares."
"She told me. That's one of the reasons I detoured from getting pizza and got that nightlight for her. I think it will help. She said the shadows scared her." Xander tightened his arm around Matt, not wanting to let go. After the week they'd both had, it was nice to relax and not have to stress over anything for a few hours.
The movie Faith had picked actually turned out to be enjoyable, and they'd eaten ice cream and laughed at the comedy as if there wasn't a darkness cloaking them all. For a couple hours, Xander was able to put the negative things aside and just enjoy the company. He hoped it had been the same for the two of them. "Want me to carry her into bed?"
"I don't know. She hasn't let anyone touch her other than me since she got home." Matt frowned as he stared at his daughter.
"Then I'll let you do it. I don't want her to wake up and freak out at my ugly face holding her," Xander teased. It would destroy him to have Faith panic because of something he did.
"It's nothing personal." Matt looked worried.
"I know that. She's been through a lot. She'll come around in time." Xander picked up the empty ice cream bowls. "I'll get these taken care of while you get her to bed."
He left Matt to deal with Faith and headed into the kitchen, wondering if he dared sneak into the bathroom or even the garage for a quickie with Matt once he got back. It was horrible to be thinking about sex when Faith was just a few rooms away and could wake up at any time, but after sitting beside Matt all night, sharing soft touches and looks, his body was strung tight. It was going to take some getting used to having a child around all the time.
He rinsed the dishes and set them in the dishwasher as he waited. His mood had improved since his run earlier, but he still struggled with visions of the sting they'd had in Texas. Several times he'd wanted to pull out his phone and browse for news on it, but he resisted. As soon as there was news, Trenton would let them know.
