“So, how much work does the house need?” I smiled at Felix as we lay in my bed together, rubbing his wedding ring gently as I held his hand up to the light.

“Hm,” he muttered, watching me, “Probably need new floors. The wood has been exposed to the sea air for a long time. I don’t want to put carpet, it’ll be horrific to clean with the sand. I think we’ll need to redo the outside as well, probably just a treatment. The entire thing is made of radiata pine. We’ll need to order more based on the measurements I have. Definitely need new furniture. We can repaint the ceilings, but everything else is the same wood. I love it. I want to get rugs to have some warmth, it gets cold in the winter, but there are woodstoves in the main living areas and the kitchen. Pa had central heat and air done a year before he passed, and I’ve had it updated, so that will be fine; we won’t need to worry. Um… that’s about it, I guess. Oh! Windows. We should have the ones in the bedrooms redone to double pane since they aren’t.”

“Is the roof still good?”

“Yep. Black slate roof to help the runoff from the rain.”

“With my legs, do you think I can even navigate it…”

“It’s a single story. Just incredibly long. Yes, I know you can. The back of the house is on stilts in case there's a storm that causes flooding, but the front is equal to the road since it’s on a cliff. There’s also a garden and greenhouse if we want to grow our own vegetables in the back. The only thing I worry about is the stairs to get to the beach, but I’ll be at your side, so I know you’ll be okay.”

“We’re married now.”

“Mhm. We’re married. Which means it’s your house too. I’ll add you to the deed for two reasons. One, because legally, I’m Felix Bennett now. Two, it’ll make it nearly impossible for anyone to take it from us. Same with the fishery.”

“Whatever you want to do, ipo,” I smiled, happy to be back in my pajamas and cuddled in bed with Felix. My parents had gone out for dinner to leave us alone, and after Felix made salmon poke bowls for us, we climbed into my bed to watch a movie that we never put on, instead talking for the last few hours, “Hey?”

“Hm?” He tilted his head, and I kissed him softly.

“I want to ask. Even though we got married to get you out of the bullshit, how long of dating do you want before I actually ask for your hand in a marriage?”

“Six months to a year. Then the wedding a year after that.”

“Then kids?”

“Oh, that can happen whenever I don’t really care. Um… natural or do you want to adopt? We can both carry them, I have a healthy uterus and all that.”

“Natural. With donors or whatever. Absolutely. We’d have cute kids,” I giggled, making Felix smile, “Are we being crazy?”

“Oh, absolutely! This is insane of us. But I kind of love it.”

“Me too. When do you wanna move to the island? We can work on it while living there.”

“After I handle things with the Brenner family. I want my documents back.”

“Alright. Whenever you feel ready, we can set a meeting date with Joshua and deal with him together. I’ll have Koa on standby in the background, we’ll meet in public. But for tonight,” I leaned over him and tangled a hand in his hair before slowly kissing him, my eyes fluttering closed, “I don’t want to think about it. I finally have you back. Wanna make out for a while and then go to bed?”

“God, yes.”

The next month passed quickly as Felix and I adjusted to being together. I had been correct in my assessment that being his spouse would be easy for me, even if it was only for legal purposes at this point. Koa had forced us to take newlywed photos, and while I found the entire thing ridiculous at first, he explained that it was more to establish our relationship and the truth of it online. My entire family had freaked out when they discovered that I was suddenly married, but after Felix had openly explained the situation, they immediately accepted and congratulated us on our new relationship. They had yet to come and meet him, but we planned to have dinner soon so that they could. Bailey had been the most upset, but this came from a place of concern and frustration as he felt as if he had failed to keep Felix safe.

Felix had finally purchased a new phone and started drafting a contract with Aata to sell half of the fishery to him. It was going well, but it couldn't be made official until we dealt with Joshua and his family.

“Felix, I'm working,” I laughed softly as he hugged me around the shoulders, his chin on the top of my head, “I only have to draft this last invite, and then I can give you my full attention.”

“Sorry, Kairoro. My arms are really itchy, and it's hard not to scratch. Watching you draw helps to keep me distracted. I'd go hang out with Rio or Koa, but they're being gross.”

“They always are. When I was a teenager,” smiling, I continued to draw as Felix pressed soft kisses to my hair, “Anytime I'd leave for more than 30 minutes, they'd wrap up in bed together, and I'd come home to their clothes just abandoned throughout the house. I couldn't understand why they wanted that so often. I didn't have the same drive with people I met, no crushes really, not interested in sex like a lot of people my age. I'm not just pansexual after all. I'm demisexual as well and didn't know that until I was about 19. It's part of why it took me longer to have feelings for you. I needed that bond,” I turned my head and he kissed me softly, “and we have it, so I kind of get it now.”

“Wanting to be wrapped up in bed with me all day?” Felix giggled, making me smile.

“Yeah, Ipo.”

“Soon?”

“When we move,” nodding, I turned back to my drafting table and Felix never left, simply leaning his full weight against my back, “Baby… I love this, but it starts to hurt after a while. I have to go get another MRI done tomorrow to make sure nothing has shifted.”

“Oh! I forgot, I’m sorry,” he sighed and kissed the side of my neck, making me laugh, “I have laundry to fold anyway, so I’ll leave you for a bit. Do you want to go to dinner tonight?”

“Sure. Date night?”

“Date night.”

“Perfect.”

Felix left after a few soft kisses, and I watched him, my heart settled. We were still in this limbo, waiting for the other shoe to drop when it came to Joshua, but it was clear we were happy, Felix no longer having nightmares. I finally finished the last draft of invitations and sent them to the person I was contracted with, knowing that they would inform me which design they wanted tomorrow. Stretching, I headed into the living room where I found Felix squatting in the middle of the room, his hand gripped to his chest as he cried loudly.

“Fe?” I rushed over, putting my hands on his back.

“Joshua found me,” he whispered, staring at his phone, “He knows where I am. We… what do we do?”

“Isn’t this what we’ve been waiting for? To confront him with the proof of our marriage? This ensures that they can’t mess with you anymore, baby.”

“I just… I’m scared it won’t be enough.”

“You’ll have me,” I whispered, cleaning his face with my thumbs, “and if it isn’t enough, we just keep fighting. We fight together as long as it takes. Felix, believe in me. If nothing else, I have you.”

“Asher,” he stared at me, confused, resembling a child who had lost their favorite toy, “Why me? Why did you…”

“Because I care for you. Because you approached me all those years ago and treated me like a person. Not a weirdo, not someone to be feared or coddled because I’m deaf. You just wanted to be my friend. In that friendship, I understood what emotions were for another person. What attraction could feel like. I didn’t know these things until I had you. I finally have you again. Right here,” I pressed my forehead to his and Felix wrapped his hand into my hair to keep me close, “and I will never let anything take you from me again. You want to know something funny?”

“What?”

“I always assumed I’d be the less dominant one in my relationship. I’m usually rather passive. But when it comes to you… I can’t control myself. I have this need to take care of you, defend you against anyone and anything.”

“I’m not your child,” Felix finally smiled, “I’m your husband.”

“That you are,” I nodded, slowly cleaning his face with my sleeves, “When does Joshua want to meet?”

“Tomorrow morning. Nine at my favorite coffee shop. Demands I come alone, which means he’s probably going to threaten me into coming back.”

“Then we hide at a table nearby,” Koa called as he came into the room with Rio, “give us your wedding license. We had another copy made in case he tries anything with that one. Give him your demands. He releases your documents, his claims to anything on Pitt Island, and any of your property. If he doesn’t, we’ll go to the media and expose everything. Even if there’s no proof, with enough scandal, it will ruin their family. Bad press is enough to take anyone down, and I uh…”

“Your Matua has been bored,” Rio shrugged making me tilt my head, “He’s been followin’ the Brenner family around town, takin’ photos of the sketchy shit they get up to. Blackmail. Bailey has also been diggin’ into their family, findin’ nasty business.”

“Do you two just run a private investigator office, and I had no idea?” I snorted.

“No, but we don’t let anyone mess with our family. Skill I learned from your Koro. The minute you two even became friends, Felix became our family. You’re even more family now that the two of you are dating. Oh, and married. I forgot about that part.”

“Can we really do this? Will I finally be free?” Felix whispered, staring at me.

“Absolutely. Or we learn how to hide a body.”

“Asher!”

“Fine, fine. No murder, I understand.”

“Good.”