Chapter 4

Ariel sat across from Jade at the kitchen table, watching him eat the frozen meal she heated up for him.

"Is it like magic?" Jade asked, gazing at the microwave.

"It's technology... if you have that where you're from."

"We have some machines, but not like that." Jade blew on his spoonful of chicken and rice before eating. Ariel's eyes landed on his lips as she ate as well. "Is something wrong?"

"Hmm?" She shovelled more food into her mouth.

"You keep staring at me as I eat. Am I doing something unusual?"

"No..." She took her time chewing and averted her gaze, staring out the kitchen window.

"If something's wrong, I'd rather you tell me. I am unaccustomed to your ways, so I won't know if I do anything wrong. Please, speak freely."

"Umm..." Ariel swallowed and touched her lips. "Why did you...?"

He noticed her gesture and nodded. "Oh, why did I kiss you? So I could learn your language. My kin have a unique ability that allows us to learn languages through a kiss. I suppose that could have been taken badly, since you didn't know."

"It was startling to have some stranger pin me down and kiss me, yes, but at least I know why now." Guess it didn't have anything to do with me, personally.

"I'm sorry, but I saw you as a threat and acted accordingly. I'm apologizing a lot, aren't I?" Jade sighed.

"I'm usually the one who does that. Anyway, I can't really blame you for any of your actions since you got here. You sort of fell from the sky, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"And you're okay?"

"Sore from the impact, but my armour helped me. I'm fine."

"Seeing as I don't know if my brother will come home and attack you for being here, would you mind staying in the attic? It's a space above my bedroom that was cleaned up to be my study. I can bring you a blow-up mattress, a blanket, and a pillow."

"You want me to sleep in the room above yours?"

"Is that a problem? I don't have any other secret places to stash you. I mean, you could use my brother's room while he's not here, but I never know when he'll pop in. His work is a bit unpredictable at times."

Jade noticed a picture of young Ariel being held up by a teenage boy with a male and female behind them hung up on the wall behind her. "Is that your brother and parents with you there?"

"Hmm?" Ariel glanced back at the last family picture they had taken. "Yes..."

"I'm not sure I should ask, but where are they?"

"They passed a few years ago."Ariel sniffled and cleared her throat. "How about I clear the table and show you the attic? I should also grab you some clothes; I don't imagine all that heavy armour is too comfortable."

"I'm used to it." Jade shrugged. "But I would welcome the change."

Ariel grabbed the dishes and put them in the sink. "I'll get to that later."

"Wouldn't it be better to do it now? Are you one who likes to put off tasks?"

"Well... I figured settling you in would be better."

"How about I help you around here as thanks? I'm not sure how long I'll have to burden you."

"Well..." Should I really turn him down? I don't like doing the dishes, and they tend to pile up. This would stop me from getting into trouble with Conner about it. "I guess, but you're not obligated to."

"I prefer to do something and be useful." Jade unlatched his gauntlets and set them on the floor beside the table with a thud.

Damn, how heavy are those? "Should I take that up first, then?"

"Don't worry about it; I'll only be a moment."

Ariel couldn't help her curiosity and picked one up. Geez, how does he walk around with these on? Maybe it's different when you're wearing it. She pulled the large gauntlet over her small hands. It's too loose.

"You'd have to tighten the strings if you want to wear it," Jade said from right behind her.

"Eep." She jumped back and bumped into him. "I'm sorry."

He wrapped an arm around her waist in case she'd fall. "Are you okay?"

"I'm sorry," she repeated herself. "I shouldn't have tried them on without your permission."

"I'm not mad. Here." He reached around her and tightened the laces on it. "Is that better?"

Geez, how can he be so close, like it's nothing? Maybe he's used to it.

"Ariel?"

"Oh, umm... Doesn't feel like it'll fall off now, but it's still too big for me."

He pressed his hand against hers and lifted it up. "No wonder; you have such small hands."

"Maybe yours are just big."

"These gauntlets are a standard size in my world, so unless your males are small like you, I'm sticking by what I said." He chuckled, and she felt the vibrations with her back still pushed up against his chest.

"I don't know how you move so fast in these with the extra weight."

"Lots of training to build up my muscles. I can't help but wonder if humans are weak now."

"Some are." Like me, I guess. "Anyway." She loosened the tie to take the gauntlet off. "Let's go upstairs."

Jade followed Ariel upstairs, looking at the trail of pictures of her and her brother on the walls as they went.

She took a deep breath before opening the door to her room. Can't believe the first time I let in a boy who's not related, and he's an elf from another land. And it's too late to hide the stuffed animals. She rushed to the corner of her room and pointed at the rope hanging from the ceiling. "You have to pull on this to bring the stairs down."

He couldn't help himself and glanced at her room, a small smile playing on his face. "So you weren't exaggerating. The attic is connected directly to you room."

"Yes..."

"Are you comfortable enough with that? We just met, and this could cause problems."

"Can't say I am, but this is what I have available. Maybe knock before coming down in case I'm changing or something. We can leave the stairs down most of the time, though."

"Okay."

"You can go up and look around while I find the mattress and stuff."

"Do you need help?"

"No; I know where it is with the camping gear." Not even sure why we kept it. We never go camping anymore. Don't see him enough to do much together. "I'll be right back." Better grab clothes, too.

Jade climbed the stairs to the attic. He could tell her brother put in an effort to make sure she was comfortable with proper flooring, brightly painted walls, and a handmade desk. Her backpack sitting at her desk caught his eye. A slight tear on the strap and remnants of something red near the zipper. He ducked down, sat at her desk, and peeked inside her backpack.

"Ugh, I should've made more than one trip," Ariel complained as she forced herself through the doorway with both her arms full, unable to see past the pile.

"I can help with that."

Ariel ran straight into him. "Oh, I thought you were still upstairs." She craned her neck to look over the pile.

"I was, but I jumped down."

"Really? I didn't even hear you land."

"I'm light on my feet."

How does he manage that while still wearing armour? Should I question something like that when he can change his appearance at will?

"Oh," Ariel gasped as the entire pile pulled away from her.

Jade carried it all upstairs, and she followed behind.

"We can move this table to this side, so we have space for the mattress." Ariel went to drag the table, and Jade picked up the other side to help. I wonder if everyone is as helpful as him where he's from. Certainly rare here. Or maybe I know the wrong people. "This is a blow-up mattress, and we don't have a working pump right now, so we'll have to blow it up ourselves." She popped open the valve and blew into it. "This'll take a while." And let's hope I don't get light-headed this time.

He looked at her for a moment before kneeling down beside her on the rug. "Let me do that." He pulled the valve away from her. "Like this?" He blew into it.

"Y-yup..." An indirect kiss! Wait, why am I freaking out about that when he already kissed me? Her face flushed again. How am I going to survive this? At least it's better than school. She sat back, catching her breath as she watched him continue with ease. If anything, this will be interesting.