"I told you, you can ask me anything," Tate spoke quietly.

"I was wondering about your scars." I waited to see if he didn't want to talk about them, but he didn't seem bothered, so I went on, "Are they from the trials?"

I felt his head nod where it was touching mine, "Most of them are."

"Why did you hide them before, but you're not now?"

"To blend in, that's the whole point in changing our appearance. They make me stand out in your world, but everyone here already knows about them, so I didn't bother. Why? Do you want me to hide them?"

Stunned by his question, I lifted my head to look at him, "No, not at all."

He looked like he didn't believe me, "It's alright if you don't like them, you can always tell me the truth. We don't really believe in lying here, and you wouldn't be the first to say something negative."

He looked so serious. I didn't know what to say. I looked down at the shoulder I'd been resting my head on and tried to decide how to respond without over-inflating his ego or embarrassing myself again.

I felt him take a deep breath and when I looked back to his face the scars were gone. The ones on his neck and chest were gone too.

He was hiding them because he thought I didn't like them. I couldn't believe it. Maybe the hand-holding and face touching were flirting.

"You didn't have to do that," I shook my head. "You're fishing for a compliment, aren't you?"

He laughed, "No, I'm really not. If you don't like them, they're easy to hide. That's all, I don't need a compliment."

"Why would it matter what I think?" I needed to know for sure.

He looked away for a second before meeting my eyes. Still whispering so the guards couldn't hear us, he said, "Because you're different; caring and selfless. You protected me when we were fighting those guards, I knew he was behind me, but you got to him first. You're strong and fast, you're smart and you make me laugh. Everything about you is appealing to me."

My heart was beating so fast I was surprised I could still breathe normally, it felt like I'd been running. He likes me too, holy shit! I was frozen in place just staring at his gorgeous face and all I could think was, I miss the scars. Before I could say that, he moved.

Reaching up, he felt the short hair at the nape of my neck with his fingertips. Running his thumb over the scruff on my jaw, he smiled, "I like the way this feels, and it looks good on you, so handsome."

My heart shuddered in my chest. That was it, it was too much, my brain froze. I rested my forehead on his shoulder, I didn't want him looking at me while I freaked out in my head.

No one I could actually be attracted to had ever said anything like that. To hear it for the first time from the amazing guy I was crushing on, and for him to be so thorough, was overwhelming.

"Mark? Are you alright?" I nodded against his shoulder and he chuckled, "Are you sure?"

Lifting my head I looked him in the eyes, "Yeah, I just needed a second."

He smiled, "Alright."

I took a second to work up my courage. "Fine, I take it back. I'm going to compliment you again today."

He gave me a huge grin, "OK."

"First, put the scars back. I want the real you, no alterations."

His eyebrows drew down in disbelief, but he closed his eyes, took a deep breath and he was him again.

I nodded, "There, that's better."

He shook his head and started to say something, but I spoke first, "Earlier today, Ash was right; I convinced myself I was dreaming. That's weird and it's never happened before, I swear I'm not crazy. It was just a lot to take in, with my friend being stolen and the wings and everything."

He laughed softly and I kept whispering, "When I thought I was dreaming, I thought I dreamed you too. This you, scars and all. The real you is the one that made me say...what I said."

The sweet smile was on his face again, the one that seemed more honest than his sexy smirk. He looked surprised and happy. "What was it you said again?"

I raised one eyebrow and he beamed at me. He leaned up on his elbow, so we were face to face. With our noses almost touching he whispered, "I remember, I said something about you expecting Tinker Bell."

Moving closer, he rubbed his cheek softly against mine, feeling the scruff against his smooth skin. "What was it you said, my handsome Mark?"

I knew he was teasing me but I didn't care, if he wanted to tease me all day, I'd let him. I turned my mouth to his ear, "I'm not really into Tinker Bell, but this badass-god-of-war thing you have going on is pretty freaking hot," pulling back, I looked at him, "and I meant it."

His answering smile was beautiful and sincere, "I really do like hearing you say that. I liked it the first time when I thought you were my favorite human. I like it even more now that I think you might be my favorite everything."

He brushed his lips over my cheek in a soft kiss before laying down and pulling my head back to his shoulder. "Get some rest, my favorite, it's going to be a busy day tomorrow."

My cheek was tingling where his lips had touched so briefly. Reaching over, he took my hand and held it, resting our joined hands on his chest.

There was no way I was getting any sleep like this, my heart would never slow down, but I didn't care. I would happily go without sleep forever if I could stay by him.

I don't know how, but I did eventually rest. I woke in the morning in the same position I was in the night before and I was so glad. Otherwise, I might have convinced myself it didn't really happen.

Tate was still sleeping, I could feel it in the steady rise and fall of his chest. I had the weirdest feeling like we were being watched, and then I remembered the guards. Looking up to the tree they were last perched in, I only saw Citrine, the male guard wasn't there.

I lifted my head and looked down past our feet and found him. Standing next to the cage watching us, it was creepy as hell.

My movement woke Tate, he lifted his head to see what I was looking at and it made all of his stomach muscles tighten. Holy shit, it was beautiful. I tried not to stare, I didn't want to give the guard any more of a show. He seemed way too interested in us already.

Rolling over onto me, Tate settled himself on my chest as he grumbled at the guard, "Go away," and he called him something that ended in 'itch'.

I almost laughed but I couldn't think about it too much with Tate half on top of me. Stacking his hands on my chest he rested his chin on them to look at me, and said, "It's early. Did he wake you?"

I was surprised and thrilled he didn't seem bothered by the audience, at least not enough to hide this closeness between us. He didn't seem to care at all. He was looking at me the same way he had last night, like we're the only two that mattered.

I smiled at him, "No, he didn't wake me. I think it was the light." With a little chuckle, I asked, "Did you call him a bitch?"

He grinned, "No, I said, Pitch, with a P, that's his name."

"Oh," I crinkled my nose. "A lot of faeries have...interesting names."

Sitting up next to me he stretched and shrugged, "Most of us have names that have something to do with nature. Pitch is from the pitch pine tree, Citrine is for the gemstone, things like that."

"What are you named after? Is there a Tate tree?"

He shook his head, "Not that I know of. I was named after a human friend of my parents, his family name was Tate."

I smiled, "That's nice. So I guess that means that your parents don't hate humans?"

"No, they didn't. They went to live in the human world as soon as I was old enough to take care of myself. They loved it there, I used to visit them often. They died a long time ago."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know." He looked so sad, without even thinking about it I sat up and wrapped my arms around him.

He rested his head on my shoulder, "Of course you didn't, it's alright. They led good lives, right up to the end. They were happy with their decision."

He let me hold him for a minute and then sitting back, he looked at my face. "Mark, I want you to know Ash told me about your parents; about why you live with Jolie."

I looked down automatically at the mention of my parents, I couldn't help it. I didn't know why, obviously he wasn't going to judge me, but just thinking about them made me feel ashamed. The sinking feeling in my stomach and the burning in my eyes was instant.

"Don't do that," Tate lifted my face with his hands, making me look at him. Leaning toward me he spoke quietly for only me to hear. "Don't let anyone make you feel bad about who you are, and don't ever feel like you can't look me in the eye."

I wanted to look away but I tried not to. I knew I needed to stop letting them make me feel like this, but it hurt.

"I don't understand their reaction to you and I can't begin to understand how it makes you feel. I can tell you that being yourself after being treated like that, is another way you're brave. I think you're amazing."

Oh wow, the sick feeling in my stomach was being replaced by a pleasant tingle. I didn't want to look like a wuss right after he called me brave, but the burning in my eyes had only gotten worse with his lovely words.

Blinking I tried to keep it back, but a tear escaped and ran down my face. I felt it stop where his thumb was resting on my cheek. He wiped it away and kissed the spot where it had been, then sat back and looked at me with affection and no judgment.

I looked from his striking blue eyes to his full upturned lips and realized how much I wanted to kiss him. I wanted to pull him close and feel his lips on mine, to run my hands through his hair and feel his hands on me.

As soon as the thought entered my mind I heard movement beside us. Looking up, I saw Jolie grinning down at me. "Were you guys having a staring contest?"

I rolled my eyes at her, and if she smiled any bigger her face might've cracked. 

Tate chuckled, "Maybe."

Laughing, Jo sat in front of me on the ground and Ash came to join us. Tate moved around, so we were sitting next to each other with our thighs touching. It felt nice, and when Jolie noticed, she gave me a nod of approval. She looked really happy for me, I couldn't wait to talk to her about it later.

Ash started speaking and he was so quiet I almost had to read his lips, "We all know the plan now, right?"

Tate and Jolie nodded, but I was happy to see that she didn't appear to like their terrible plan any better than I did.

"This sucks. If that old guy hadn't shown up with all those other guards we would be home right now," she was being quiet but it did nothing to hide her frustration.

"That reminds me. Did that old guy look familiar to you? I could swear I've seen him before." I was watching her and her eyes bugged out when I mentioned it.

"Yes! I thought that too, but then everything happened and I guess I forgot. How do we know him?"

Thank you for reading!! 😁💜
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