Arrowan

His eyes – Luin's eyes – were full of indecision and I waited nervously for him to come to a verdict. He had come here to find me... that had to be a good sign. Unless he was here to tell me that I was too late and he wanted me to stay away.

"Why did you come?" he finally asked. His eyes, like pools of liquid mercury, betrayed what the rest of his smooth expression did not. I could see pain in them, and maybe a hint of anger. I knew what he was really asking: why now and not sooner?

"Can we sit?" I asked, gesturing to the sand at my feet. His clothes were crisp and neat, with distinct fold lines going down his pants. It was probably stupid to ask him to dirty his clothes, I realized, but it was too late to take back the words – and besides, where else could we go? I had nowhere.

"Alright," Luin answered, and he closed the distance between us. I indulged for a few seconds, studying his face from this new vantage point. Luin was breathtakingly beautiful. Some of that was his Seelie glow: nut-brown skin that seemed to radiate light, metallic eyes instead of the jewel-toned ones I was so used to, and hair that at a glance looked like a normal darkish brown color but which up close was full of streaks of shining strands that looked like bronze. Some of his beauty came from his features themselves, once you looked past all the glowing strangeness of his coloring.

Luin tilted his head inquisitively and I looked away – he was probably thinking I stared too much. I turned back toward the ocean and sat down, but Luin didn't join me. I glanced back at him and saw him staring at my lower back in horror. "What happened to you?" he gasped.

Until he mentioned it, I had completely forgotten about the cut on my back from fleeing Alterra. My magic was trickling back and soon I would be able to seal together my flesh like it had never been split, so it hadn't seemed like such a big deal once it stopped leaving a blood trail for my pursuers to follow. "It's just a scratch," I fibbed.

Luin dropped gracefully to his knees behind me and his fingers probed gently at the skin around my cut. His fingers felt hot. Was this a Seelie thing, too? Maybe he radiated heat as well as light. My own hands were always cold.

"You've gotten sand in it!" Luin said, sounding upset. "You shouldn't have been laying on it." I didn't know him well enough to hone in on what, exactly he was feeling, but I almost would have guessed it was anger. "Just a scratch!" he added, his voice rising in pitch. "Arrowan, this is deep! There's blood all over what's left of your shirt back here!"

"I'm okay," I assured him, spinning in place so he couldn't keep poking around at my cut and working himself up.

Luin stared at me in disbelief before shaking his head. "No. No, we're going to get this cleaned up and bandaged. If it opens up again, I have some friends I can call who might be able to help."

I should have said none of his concern was necessary. A quick shower to get the sand out and a little more time to let my magic regenerate were all I really needed. I didn't say that, though. It was too much of a relief to have Luin here in front of me, forgiving me enough to want to help.

I just... I wanted to let my bond mate take care of me. Just a little. Was that so wrong?

"Whatever you think is best," I conceded.

Luin held out a hand and said, "I can take us there." I didn't ask where 'there' was – I just grabbed my bag and took his hand. Everything shifted before my eyes without any warning. One second, we were kneeling on the beach and the next, we were kneeling on the floor in what looked like someone's house. Was this where Luin lived?

Luin let go of my hand and stood up, brushing sand off his pants absently before looking down at the now-gritty floors with a look of surprise and annoyance that had me fighting back a smile. I stood, too, and waited for Luin to direct me.

He leaned over and looked at my back before frowning. "Let's brush off outside, okay? Then I'll get that wound cleaned up."

It seemed like from the moment Luin noticed my cut, he went from being stiff and uncertain into full-on caretaker mode. He opened the door behind us and shepherded me out into a neatly-kept front yard, where he brushed the sand from my clothes with careful but efficient hands, not seeming to notice or care about the difference between my calves, my thighs, and my butt. He was more careful with my shirt, but I knew that was just because of my injury.

Once I passed inspection, Luin took my hand and pulled me back inside, then down a hallway and into a small but neat bathroom. His fingers brushed my sides as he eased my shirt carefully up, holding it off my back as he helped me take it off. It wasn't how I thought his first time seeing me shirtless would go, but I was enjoying being taken care of enough that I didn't mind how far from sexual this was.

"Stay here," Luin said, and I watched as he disappeared into the hallway and started rummaging around. He came back with a white plastic box and a towel. He clutched them to his chest like a child with a security blanket while his eyes darted nervously around the bathroom.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

His grip on the box and towel tightened. "I'm just trying to figure out the best way to get that sand out."

"Mind if I use the shower? I'm sure I can manage on my own," I said. As much as I enjoyed having Luin take care of me, I didn't want him this stressed out about it.

"Yes, okay. That might be best," Luin quickly agreed. The relief was evident in his tone and I wondered what he would have done if I insisted on him helping me. But this wasn't the time for teasing or pushing buttons. Better that we get a little more familiar with each other first.

Luin set down the box on the edge of the counter and handed me the towel. "There's soap already in there, but I worry it might irritate that wound. Maybe just give it a good rinse instead? I can disinfect it when you're done."

"Okay, I can do that," I agreed. Luin started moving toward the door and hesitated, looking back at me with worried eyes. A trickle of guilt started creeping through me. Maybe I shouldn't have let this go on so long. "I'm really okay, Luin," I assured him. "I'll get the sand out and soon I'll have enough magic to heal it completely. Please don't worry."

His eyes widened. "Really?"

"Really." I smiled reassuringly, staring into those gorgeous silvery eyes of his, and Luin's cheeks pinkened.

"O-okay. I'll just be down the hall." Luin stepped out and reached for the door, but before he could shut it between us, he added, "Just call if you need anything, okay?"

I nodded again and watched as the tips of his ears turned pink, too. Finally, he shut the door and I was left alone. The image of Luin looking so adorably uncertain was in the forefront of my mind as I mechanically turned on the shower and stripped off my clothes. I raked my hands down my face and let out a shuddering laugh.

I still couldn't really believe I was here on Earth. And then, my bond mate had found me, which was its own kind of miracle after years spent worrying he might resent me for taking so long to get to him. And he was... I shook my head, searching for words that could adequately encompass my bond mate. He was stunning. I had seen depictions of Seelie before and had thought I knew what to expect, but they literally paled in comparison to him. And there was something so intriguing about how the stiff demeanor he'd greeted me with shifted into such caring at the first sign I might need help.

I stepped into the stream of warm water and wondered what would come next. I didn't think Luin would cast me out of his life. Would he maybe let me stay with him? And I hoped he would help me navigate this new realm. I knew how most things worked and knew the language – Alterra and Earth were linked realms and we had always closely followed Earth's development, picking up their inventions and incorporating them into our own lives. Still, I wasn't sure how to actually go about making a living for myself here. I didn't understand the cultural nuances well enough. Assuming this was Luin's house – and I had no other explanation for him bringing me here – he clearly had figured out how to provide for himself.

The water hitting the cut on my back had me hissing in pain through teeth gritted against a long, loud stream of curses. It burned enough that I tried for several minutes to touch the cut but couldn't quite convince myself to do it. I knew it would only hurt worse, and I was no masochist. Eventually, I gently prodded at it with trembling fingers and rubbed until I couldn't feel the gritty sand anymore. I had enough magic now – barely – to heal myself, but it really would be better if Luin got out any sand I missed first. Otherwise, fresh skin might grow over the sand and it would take years to work itself out.

After I finished, I quickly dried off and put on fresh boxers and pants from my bag. My dirty clothes I balled up and shoved into the bag, and I hurried out of the bathroom to find Luin.

He was waiting for me on the couch, twirling a pen between his fingers. When he noticed me, the pen went flying and he blushed. Luin came over and checked my back, gently prodding at the skin around it again and humming to himself. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and turned on the flashlight for a better look. Meanwhile, I stood and tried to think about anything other than how close he was, or the breath I felt fanning across the skin of my lower back, or how gentle his hands were on me.

"How's it look?" I asked.

"I don't see any sand," he answered, sounding distracted still. That was all I needed to hear. I sent a stream of magic into the cut, using it to knit my skin back together until it was all completely healed. Luin gasped and I felt him brush a finger over the area gently at first, then again with more pressure.

"That was amazing!" he said, and I had to smile. Healing was one of the more common Unseelie abilities, so I logged "easily impressed" under my mental catalogue of Luin's potential traits.

The front door opened and a man walked in with his arms draped in countless cloth totes. When he saw me, he froze and another man – also carrying many bags – ran into his back. "Oh, hi!" the first said. His eyes flicked to Luin, who was still bent over behind me, and his smile grew as his eyes took on a knowing glint. "I'm sorry if we're interrupting."

Another man stepped in behind him grimaced at us apologetically and nudged the man in front of him forward. "It's probably not a good time, Magnus. Let's just get to the kitchen."

The two disappeared and I turned around to find Luin standing upright and blushing harder than ever. "Sorry," he said. "Those are my friends, Lachlan and Magnus. They brought groceries.". Luin pointed out each man as he spoke their names.

I nodded and put on a shirt from my bag. I could hear the plasticky rustling of packaging and cabinets slamming. Luin went into the kitchen and I followed after him like a lost puppy, watching in silence as the three made quick work of putting away heaps of groceries. As they moved, I noticed how empty the pantry and refrigerator had been before. So... did Luin not live here, then? Or did he just eat out a lot?

When they were done, Magnus turned toward me and grinned. His mouth opened to speak, but Lachlan grabbed his arm and tugged him through the doorway. "We'll get out of your hair," Lachlan said. "See you later, call if you need anything!" Then the two were gone before Magnus could get in another word.

"So, those are your friends?" I asked, hoping he would fill in more details without me having to pry.

Luin was back to that stiff, upright posture he'd used when we met. He jerked a nod and said, "Yeah. This is actually Lachlan's house, but he and Magnus don't live here. You can stay here if you want. They were just making sure you have everything you need."

Did Luin not want me to stay with him, then? Even though that was reasonable – after all, we were complete strangers – it still stung. But I wasn't in a position to turn down a place to stay. "That's really generous of him."

The stoic mask Luin had put on cracked enough to let through a small smile. "That's Lachlan for you. He likes to think he's a selfish jerk, but really he's a softie."

Jealousy pierced through my chest and I quickly reminded myself that Luin implied Lachlan and Magnus lived together. "How does Magnus fit in?"

"Oh, they're mates."

Okay, that was one worry gone. "So-"

"Are you-" Luin began at the same time. We both cut ourselves off and laughed awkwardly in the silence that followed.

"Go on," I encouraged.

"I was just going to ask if you're hungry," Luin said.

Until he brought it up, my stomach was the last thing on my mind. As soon as I thought about it, though, my hunger was impossible to ignore. The only thing I'd had since breakfast yesterday was that buttered bread this morning. I don't know what face I was making, but Luin laughed and said, "I'm taking that as a yes. Why don't you sit down? I'll cook."

He gestured for me to take a seat at the little table in the back corner of the kitchen. Normally I would offer to help, but I liked that Luin was taking care of me again – it had to be a good sign for our relationship, right? Or maybe he was just the caregiver type. Either way, I certainly wasn't going to refuse. As I sat, I promised myself that I would pay him back for this. He deserved to be taken care of by his bond mate, too.