"Okay, so since you didn't get the papers from your gran, we'll have to figure out another strategy." Oliver frowned at his laptop as if it had offended him. "But I can't really figure out what the next step would be."

"I don't know either," Arlo muttered. "I've read the site over and over again, and it keeps saying we have to prove Dion's either or. But he's not. So what do we do when we can't prove that?"

"And you don't know anything about your birthmother?" Oliver asked and looked at me over the screen of the laptop.

"No, my father didn't either." I shrugged a shoulder and took a sip of my beer.

"And it's definitely out of the question to ask your gran again?"

"It's definitely out of the question," I said before Arlo could say anything. I wasn't going back there. Ever. It was over. I didn't ever want her to think I was taking advantage of her or her family, so I was done asking them for anything. I'd never ask anyone for anything again. I was a half-blood street kid and I'd apparently never be anything else.

"Well, then you could get married. Under the law of protection for marriage partners, Dion would become legit. Especially if he married someone with your status," Oliver said and glanced at Arlo.

His eyes were wide and then he looked at me.

"We'd lose our jobs," I muttered. "I would have to pay a lot of money for the remaining time there. Like for my spot."

"Wait what?" Oliver arched a brow.

"We pay for our spots. For photoshoots, for spots on the website, for promotional stuff. For being able to work there. For permits. It's taken out of what we make. It's expensive to be a whore."

"You're not a whore, don't call yourself that," Arlo growled and took my hand in his.

"I... Am. Though. Arlo, I'm a prostitute." I smiled a little. "I know what I am. I'm okay with what I am."

"So you have a debt right now?" Oliver asked and scratched his forehead.

"Yeah, I do. It's part of the contract. And uh... I've had a lot of promotion. I have to finish it."

"Aren't you a top earner?"

"Yeah. But... It's not enough. I still have a lot of pay out."

"How much?" Arlo asked.

I cringed and he nodded, taking that for a good enough answer. I owed... A lot. Which was why I really needed to pay it all out by working until my contract was over.

"And we couldn't just tell Achilleus that in order for Dion to have a better status, he has to get married?" Oliver asked and rubbed his eyes.

"It'd still be a conflict of interest. I wouldn't be able to guard Dion anymore," Arlo said, giving my hand a squeeze.

"And that'd be an issue because?" Oliver looked tiredly up at Arlo.

"I've... I've got to protect him."

"But if this could change my status, Arlo, maybe..." I trailed off as I could see the anxiety splashed across my boyfriend's face.

"Why don't I marry you then? I'm a full-blood."

"It'd have to look real. I'd have to move in with you and I... I really appreciate it but if this is how it's going to be until my contract is over, I can live with that. It's okay. And when the contract is over, we can get the hell out of Euphoria."

Oliver didn't look completely convinced but it wasn't like we had any other choices here. Arlo had this need to protect me. I was suspecting it was entirely biological for him. He loved me therefore he had to protect me. And to be honest, I didn't want any other guard. I just wanted him there all the time. It made it easier for me to get through it. Every appointment got harder and harder and I didn't want to do this anymore. I wanted to be free with Arlo. Have a normal job.

I had gotten a tiny taste of a real life and that's what I wanted. I wanted normalcy. I wanted to go grocery shopping and wake up Sunday morning with my boyfriend. Not work in the middle of the night.

I just wanted to be normal.

"Hey, Dion?" Arlo said hesitantly as he pulled his shirt over his head. "I do... Wanna get married... One day. To you. I want us to get married someday."

I smiled widely from my position on the bed and put my phone away. "Yeah?"

"Yeah, I... Love you a lot. You know?"

"I do."

"Do you... Wanna marry me? Someday?"

I scooted to the edge of the bed and dumped my feet down in front of him, hooking my fingers in his jeans and pulled him in between my legs, looking up at him. "Do you even have to ask?"

He smiled down at me and took my face in his hands, smoothing his thumbs over my cheeks. "I think I do. Need to ask."

"Yes. I want to marry you one day too, Arlo." I leaned forward and kissed his fussy stomach. "I love you," I murmured against his skin.

He swooped down, circled his arms around me and hoisted me up, my legs around his hips. "And I love you." He walked on his knees to the head of the bed and very gently put me down, pressing me into the bed with his body. "Can you really stay like this until your contract is over?"

He lifted up and looked down at me, his elbows on either side of my head.

"Yeah. As long as you support me in this."

"You know I do." He dumped down besides me and rolled out of bed again. He was still in his jeans and obviously he had to find his comfy sweats so he could sleep. I loved watching him undress. And move around with no shirt on. Like his back was art. He thought it was weird how I'd always compliment him on his back, but he didn't see it so what did he know?

He came back to bed, now wearing sweats and curled his body around mine, making those very content sounds he'd make when we cuddled.

"We'll go to that meeting right? Just to see what happens."

I moulded it over and then looked up, meeting his gaze. "Okay. If you think it'll be interesting."

"I think it'll be informative. At least we'll meet other people in the same situation, yeah? We can't be the only couple struggling with this whole thing right now. I mean, there are other halfs and fulls out there, in relationships, right?"

"You don't wanna feel alone," I said softly.

"I don't want you to feel alone."

I slipped an arm under his and pressed my face to his chest. "You're too sweet. But I don't feel alone. You're in this with me."

"Maybe I just... It'd be nice to meet others like us. You know?"

I pulled back and smiled. "Yeah. Let's meet others like us. It might be nice to share experiences with someone."

"And maybe they have tips?" Arlo said and smiled back.

"Yeah, we could learn something."

I didn't even know why we needed to talk ourselves into this. Maybe because we were both a little lonely with this experience. We knew we had each other but being two could get lonely too, when there was no one else going through what we together were going through. We needed more friends.