By the time I step back into Kent’s house, Ellen is sleeping soundly in my arms.

We had a good lesson tonight. Ellen listened, and only tried to wander off once or twice. She asked a lot of questions - good, interesting questions, some of which I didn’t even know the answers to.

It’s fine, though. I’m pretty sure that anything I couldn’t tell her, she’ll find out on her own.

I open the kitchen door. Ellen curls up a little in my arms, turning her face away from the light.

Kent and Gabby are at the breakfast table.

Kent looks upset, worn out. Gabby is leaning in close to him, speaking quietly, one hand resting on his back. They both look up when I step into the room.

Kent’s expression softens right away. He gets to his feet, reaching for Ellen. I hand her over, and she snuggles her face against his shoulder, wraps her arms around his neck.

“There’s my girl,” he murmurs, smoothing a hand over her back.

“Hi, Dad,” Ellen mumbles, half-asleep. “Did it go good? With my teachers?”

A pained expression flashes across Kent’s face, but Ellen has her eyes closed, and she doesn’t see.

“Yeah, baby, it went great,” he says, putting in a valiant effort to sound cheerful. “Ms. Nakamura said very nice things about you.”

“I like Ms. Nakamura,” Ellen answers, around a sleepy sigh. “I named a moon after her.”

Kent clearly has no idea what Ellen means, but he breaks into an affectionate smile, looking down at her with warmth in his eyes.

“Bedtime, I think,” he says, glancing up at us. “Back in a minute.”

I wait until the door closes after them, then turn back to Gabby.

“Not the best parent-teacher conference, I’m guessing?”

“Decidedly not.” Gabby gets to her feet, her expression grim. “There’s been some talk of putting Ellen into remedial classes.”

“What?” I stare at her, taken aback. “Really?”

“Mhm.” Gabby sighs deeply. “Kent isn’t happy about it.”

“Well, yeah,” I answer, dropping my bag onto the counter. “I mean, there’s nothing wrong with taking remedial classes, but I really don’t think that’s what Ellen needs.”

Gabby looks at me with interest, folding her arms over her chest.

“What do you think she needs, Jamie?”

“Me? Oh, well - I don’t know. I’m no expert on education, but - I don’t think the problem is that she doesn’t understand the subject matter. Here, look.”

I flip open my bag and find the list that Ellen wrote out, the drawings she did. I spread them out on the kitchen table, and Gabby leans over to take a look.

“We talked about Jupiter, and Ellen remembered everything,” I explain. “She went off by herself and copied out the names of all of Jupiter’s moons. She even gave names to the moons that don’t have one yet.”

Gabby’s eyes swiftly scan the list, then come to a stop on her own name.

“She named one after me?”

“Yeah, that one’s yours. And you’re also the queen of Ellen’s moon, by the way. So you’ve got your hands full. Two moons to manage.”

Gabby laughs softly, gazing down at her name on the list.

“And here I forgot my crown in the car,” she says, tossing her ponytail over her shoulder.

“Seriously, Gabby, I don’t think that remedial classes will solve anything for Ellen. She - she just…”

I hesitate, struggling for a way to explain.

“You know what?” Gabby looks up from the drawings, chewing her lip. “Let’s schedule a time to talk about this, Jamie. Very soon. I’d like to hear more about what goes on in your classes, and how Ellen behaves during them. Is that okay?”

“Sure, of course!” I say immediately. “If that would help, then yeah.”

Kent comes back into the kitchen and leans his hip against the counter, letting out a heavy sigh.

Gabby crosses to him, winds her arms around his waist.

“It’s okay, tesoro,” she murmurs. “We’re gonna find a solution. Me and Jamie, we’re all over it.”

Kent manages a small smile. He tips forward, bending to rest his forehead against Gabby’s.

“Don’t know what I’d do without you,” he says, and Gabby pops a kiss onto his nose.

“There’s something you should see.” She gestures to the papers on the table, her bangles jingling. “Something that might make you feel better.”

Aiden pushes open the kitchen door before Kent can answer, pulling his headphones out. He’s red-cheeked, sweaty, and out of breath. Wearing rumpled exercise clothes, his chestnut hair sticking up at wild angles.

The sight briefly makes me forget about everything else going on.

My cheeks start to burn when his blue eyes find me.

“Hi,” he says, and I bound across the kitchen to brush a kiss onto his mouth.

“Hi! Had a nice run?”

“Mhm. Long one.” Aiden plants one hand on his hip, sweeping his damp hair out of his face with the other. His gaze travels past me, to Kent and Gabby. “Is… everything okay?”

“There was, um, a parent-teacher conference,” I say quietly, and Aiden’s eyes turn sympathetic.

“Oh. I’m sorry, Kent.”

“It’s okay,” Kent answers, with slightly more confidence than he had before. He seems steadier with Gabby closeby. He wraps an arm around her shoulders, taking a deep breath. “We’re working on a solution.”

“Yes, we are,” Gabby says firmly. “We’ll find one. Do you want to see what Ellen did for her classes with Jamie?”

“Yeah, of course.” Kent straightens up, pushing his glasses back into place. “What is all that, Jamie?”

“I’ll leave you guys to it, I’m gonna shower,” Aiden says, nodding at the door.

Okay, no, I’m not about to miss that.

“Um - you know what, Kent? Gabby can show you.” I lace my fingers through Aiden’s before he can leave me behind. “If you don’t mind, Gabby?”

Gabby nods, gazing up at Kent with a smile on her face. “Happy to.”

“Cool, thanks,” I call over my shoulder, already on the way to the door.

“Oh, Aiden,” Gabby calls after us, “Please thank your aunt again for sending me all those recipes. Everything I’ve tried so far has been amazing.”

Aiden smiles. “She’ll be happy to hear that.”

“Not that I made any of it,” Gabby clarifies. “I’ve been living the campaign trail life, so my cooking skills don’t extend past a microwave.” She turns to look at Kent, tracing a hand over his beard. “Good thing I’ve got myself a five-star personal chef, hmm? You’re yummy for all kinds of reasons, mi amor.”

“Stop it,” Kent laughs.

It’s a relief to see him look happy again, after everything from tonight. Aiden and I exchange a little grin.

We leave Kent with his Companion Plant, and Ellen’s paper planetarium.

~~~~

I didn’t go for a run, and I’m not all sweaty, but that absolutely doesn't stop me from following Aiden into the shower.

“Hi,” he laughs, blinking in surprise when he turns to find me there.

“Hi,” I purr, stepping up close to him.

Warm, muscled arms fold around me, and my breath catches in my throat.

Aiden has such a presence. There’s something so sexy about him that every now and then my brain goes blank, and I almost forget that he’s my boyfriend. That I’ve had months to get used to the sight of him, to having his undivided attention on me.

I get all nervous, like he’s some unbearably attractive stranger I’ve locked eyes with across a party.

“What?” he rumbles, curling his fingers beneath my chin.

I spread my hands on his chest for balance, perch on my toes to kiss him.

“Nothing. You’re just so fucking fine. It’s annoying.”

Aiden smiles against my mouth. He watches me as I drop back onto my feet and dip my head beneath the water.

“Hey, you should stay over tonight,” he says.

I toss my hair out of my face and cast him an intimate smile, draw a fingertip down the center line of his body.

“I would love to, but - but, um…”

I fade off. Looking at Aiden has made me lose my train of thought.

His pupils are dilated, his lip caught between his teeth. His eyes are roaming my body at a leisurely, lingering pace.

Then they flit up to lock with mine.

He takes a step towards me, and another. He backs me all the way up to the far wall of the shower. Places his hands on the tiles on either side of my head.

He drags the tip of his nose down the length of mine, his breath teasing over my lips.

“Got someplace you need to be?” he asks, his low voice reverberating through my very core.

“I have to - have to, um-”

I keep forgetting what we're talking about, and apparently Aiden is having the same problem.

Something molten and fiery flares in his eyes.

He leans into me, bringing our bodies together. His fingers glide down my side, his other hand still braced on the wall.

“I have to be at home,” I stammer. “In case Noah needs me.” Or Raj, I think, but don’t add. “You know Noah, he just shows up whenever, without bothering to text first. He’s taking care of Nik right now, so I think it’s unlikely, but - I should be home, just in case. So I can’t stay, not tonight.”

Aiden presses a kiss to the corner of my mouth. “Bet I can make you stay.”

I duck beneath his arm, slip past him. Put my back to him, trying to hide the flaming color of my cheeks.

“Nope, you can’t, actually,” I tell him. “Cool if I borrow your body wash?”

I bend to grab it, start to straighten up - then go very still as Aiden bends over me and drags the flat of his tongue slowly up my spine.

All the way up, until his nose skims my shoulder blade, and then past that, until he bites down softly on the nape of my neck. Stubble scratching me gently, all the while.

My mind goes completely, deliciously blank.

I shudder, and Aiden’s hands move to begin a slow slide down the front of my body.

“Can’t I?” he asks, his breath warm against my ear.

I turn, throw my arms around his neck, and kiss him up against the wall, everything else forgotten.

He responds just as enthusiastically, gathering me up to him, taking a fistful of my hair in his fingers - but then stops, panting.

I search his eyes for a flash of white blue. While this would be sort of early for him to lose control, it wouldn’t be unheard of.

But Aiden’s eyes are the bright, crystalline shade that they normally are: shallow ocean over white sand. It’s his expression that’s unusual. He looks sort of - guilty?

“Is something wrong?” I ask, my palms still flat on his chest.

“No, just… did you say that you can’t stay over because Noah might need your help?”

“Yes, dummy. Weren’t you listening to me?”

“I was listening to you, but, um. The other kind of listening. So I didn’t catch everything you said.” Aiden bites his lip, a little sheepish. “I’m sorry. You just sound so good.”

“Oh. It’s okay.” I smile up at him, my cheeks burning even hotter. “So - what’s the problem?”

“Well - if you need to go home because of that, then… I feel sort of bad, making you stay here. Even if it’s gratifying to know that I can. Which it is.”

I stare at him, then break into a wide grin.

“Sweet thing.” I press a kiss to his jaw. “Softy. Love you. Love that.”

He groans, tossing his head back. “Shut up, dude.”

“Okay, well - compromise? Yes, I need to be at my own place tonight, but…” I curl a hand around the back of Aiden’s neck, start nibbling and licking his throat. “We can definitely make the most of the shower before we split up for the night.”

“I like that compromise,” he says, breathless again, his fingers tangling in my hair. “I can work with that. Can I walk you home, though? Postpone that whole splitting up for the night thing a little longer?”

I smile into Aiden’s neck, and wrap my arms around him.

“Mhm. Yes. Yes, you can.”

~~~~

I shiver, zipping up my jacket as Aiden and I cross the street.

“Fuck, it’s cold. Tell me again why you wouldn’t dry my hair off for me, Heliomancer?”

“Because I don’t want to accidentally melt your brain.”

I click my tongue at him, shaking my head.

“You have way better control than you give yourself credit for, man.”

Aiden smiles down at me. He drops my hand, twines an arm around my shoulders.

I find myself bathed in dry, comfortable heat, and my wet hair is suddenly no longer a problem.

“One more compromise,” Aiden says, as I cozy up against his side. “Noah better talk soon, though. I don't want to spend a whole lot of nights apart from you like this. Feels like it’s already been too many, honestly.”

“Um.” I look up at him, biting back a smile. “Tonight will make one, babe. One night.”

“Yeah, but it feels like - come on, you know what I mean.” Aiden glances down at me, his cheeks turning pink. “Don’t you?”

He reads the answer in my face, and looks relieved.

“Cool,” he says, more to himself than to me. “That was about to be embarrassing, otherwise.”

“Oh, my god,” I laugh.

Aiden adjusts his snapback, faintly embarrassed, after all. “You know what I fucking mean, dude!”

“I do know what you mean, and I agree. Let’s hope that Noah feels like talking soon.”

“I’ll make him talk,” Aiden growls. “I know that I said it’s best to be patient with him, but if this keeps you out of my bed, then the situation has changed.”

“Aiden!” I laugh, smacking a hand into his chest. “Come on, stop. I’ve waited this long, and you said it yourself, he’s nearly there. I can wait a little longer.”

Aiden shoots me a skeptical, okay-then kind of look.

“I can do it!” I insist. “I can.”

~~~~

By the end of my shift the next day, I’m not actually sure that I can do it.

It’s late, the moon is high overhead, I’m walking home for the night - and I haven’t heard a word from Melanie, Raj, or Noah.

Nothing, from any of them.

I wasn’t all that worried about how things would go with Raj and Melanie’s talk. They’re both on the same page, they just need to realize it.

But the radio silence put a flutter of anxiety in my stomach this morning, and it’s gotten worse and worse all day. I really want to call Raj, but if he wanted to talk, wouldn’t he have called me?

Lost in my thoughts, I stop before the door of my building and feel around in my pockets for the keys.

“Jamie.”

I whip around to find Noah a few feet away. Waiting in the shadows, leaning a shoulder against the wall.

“Oh, Jesus!” I press a hand to my chest, my heart hammering. “You scared the hell out of me, dude! What are you-?” He steps into the light, and I break off sharply, getting a better look at him. “Holy shit, Noah, are - are you okay?”

His hands are jammed into the pockets of his bomber jacket, but I can tell that they’re balled into fists. His hair is in the messiest, loosest approximation of a bun, his jaw is clenched, and his eyes - something is going on with his eyes. He’s avoiding mine, but when he glances at me, he looks lost, panicked.

There’s a broken, erratic, almost frantic energy that he’s giving off, though he’s holding very still.

“Noah...” I rest a hand on his arm, unable to stop myself. “What… what…?”

“You, um.” Noah’s voice is strained and hollow, thin enough to snap. “You remember that time when I came over, and you and I talked about relationship - stuff? Serious relationships, or whatever?”

“Yeah, I do," I answer slowly. "As I recall, you said, when it comes to the real deal shit, I’ll know it when I see it.”

“Right. And then you - you said that it might sneak up on me.”

I nod at him. “Yeah, man. I remember.”

Noah runs a hand over his face, takes a deep, shaky breath, and says:

“It snuck up on me.”