Page 65 of Missiletoe
“So I came to make sure our newest family member stayed alive.”
“Because that’s what we do!” Vix finished, and both of them did a little jazz-hands flourish.
“That’s…that’s just creepy,” Mike said. “You see how creepy that is, right?”
I didn’t think it was creepy, but I finally started to see what Vix had meant when he’d tried to explain what Baz was to him. I could see now that they didn’t have romantic energy at all. It was more like they were two kids who had found their partner in crime and had decided to run with it for life.
It also happened to be incredibly cute, and I was willing to be an audience for them as long as they wanted one.
“So, while we let Gareth do his thing…” Vix said as he poked at his phone some more.
“What thing? Who’s Gareth?” Mike asked.
Vix and Baz both ignored him, and Baz continued Vix’s train of thought. “We’re going to be your personal security team.”
“Because you need one.”
“And because you are flammable.”
“And I love you.”
“And Vix can’t fuck a charbroiled corpse.”
They didn’t do jazz hands again, but they were giving off jazz hands energy.
“Oh, and I don’t love you yet, but you can get on a payment plan,” Baz said. “You’ll get there eventually.”
“What do I have to pay?” I asked to play along.
“You could pay him in dogs. You have plenty.”
“I was thinking less of dogs and more like emotional blackmail. You can sexile Vix until he gives me my drone.”
“Hey, no sexiling me, Paris! Baz, I already decided to make you your drone to pay you back for blinding you.”
“...Dogs it is, then.”
Right on cue, Trixie showed up.
“Damn, Paris, you deliver fast.” Baz crouched down and gave Trixie a hug, and wonder beyond wonders, she let it happen.
“Sorry, Baz, but you can’t have Trixie,” Vix said.
“Because she’s her own dog,” I finished.
“But you can always come to the shelter.”
“We have all the dogs you could want.”
“And cats.”
“And bunnies.”
Trixie barked like she wanted to join in too. I could see why Vix and his brother put on their show. It was fun.
Baz looked back and forth between the three of us, and for a moment, I was a little worried he’d get upset. I had butted in on their relationship in a huge way, and it was possible he’d lose it if he thought I was trying to take his place entirely.
I hadn’t been. It just felt natural to join in.
