MARRY YOUR KILLER
Chapter Thirty-Six: The Boys
---
The morning was quiet when Percy found Keifer in the garden.
He was sitting on the steps, his hands empty, his face turned toward the house. The flowers were blooming. The grass was green. The mud was long gone.
Percy sat beside him.
"You're sitting on the steps," Percy said.
"I'm sitting on the steps."
"You've been sitting here every morning."
Keifer didn't answer.
Percy leaned back. His hands were behind his head. His face was turned toward the sky.
"You're thinking about her," Percy said.
Keifer looked at him. "I'm always thinking about her."
Percy grinned. "That's disgusting."
Keifer almost smiled. "You're disgusting."
"I'm handsome. There's a difference."
Keifer shook his head. Percy was still grinning.
They sat in silence for a moment. The sun was rising. The birds were loud. The house was waking up.
"She's still sleeping," Percy said.
"I know."
"You were watching her sleep."
Keifer's jaw tightened. "I was not."
"You were. You're always watching her sleep. It's creepy."
Keifer picked up a handful of dirt. He threw it at Percy's face.
Percy didn't move. The dirt hit his cheek. It fell into his lap.
"That's romantic," Percy said. "That's how you show love. Throwing dirt."
Keifer stood up. He walked toward the house. Percy followed, still talking, still loud, still Percy.
"You threw dirt at her once. In this garden. I saw it. She threw dirt back. That's when I knew. That's when I knew you were going to marry her."
Keifer stopped. He turned.
"You knew before I did," Keifer said.
Percy's face softened. "Everyone knew before you did."
---
Aries was in the kitchen when they walked in.
They were standing at the counter, a cup of coffee in their hand, their face turned toward the window. The light was gold on their face. They looked like Jay. They always looked like Jay.
Percy walked to the counter. He stood beside them.
"You're up early," Percy said.
"I don't sleep."
"You don't sleep? That's my thing. I don't sleep. You can't take my thing."
Aries looked at him. Their face was calm. "You sleep all the time."
"I rest my eyes. There's a difference."
Aries almost smiled. "There's not."
Percy leaned against the counter. His shoulder touched theirs.
"You're smiling," Percy said.
"I'm not smiling."
"You're smiling. I saw it. You're smiling because I'm here. You're smiling because I'm funny. You're smiling because—"
Aries picked up a dish towel. They threw it at his face.
Percy caught it. He held it to his chest.
"You threw a towel at me," Percy said. "That's how you show love. Throwing towels."
Aries looked at him. Their face was calm. Their eyes were not.
"Go away," Aries said.
Percy grinned. "Never."
---
Yuri was in his corner when they found him.
His arms were crossed. His face was cold. His red hair was bright against the white wall. He looked at them when they walked in. His face didn't change.
Percy stood in front of him.
"You're in your corner," Percy said.
"I'm in my corner."
"You're always in your corner."
Yuri didn't answer.
Percy leaned against the wall. His shoulder was close to Yuri's.
"You came to the hospital," Percy said. "Every day. You stood in the corner. You didn't talk to anyone. You just stood there."
Yuri's jaw tightened. "I was waiting."
"Waiting for what?"
Yuri looked at Percy. His face was cold. His eyes were not.
"Waiting for her to wake up," Yuri said.
Percy's face softened. He put his hand on Yuri's shoulder.
"She's awake now," Percy said.
Yuri looked at Percy's hand on his shoulder. He didn't move it away.
"I know," Yuri said.
---
Keifer stood in the doorway.
He watched Percy with Aries. Watched him with Yuri. Watched the way he moved through the room, touching, talking, filling the silence with his voice.
Percy looked up. He saw Keifer watching.
"You're staring," Percy said.
"I'm observing."
"Same thing."
Keifer walked into the room. He stood beside Yuri. His shoulder touched Yuri's.
"You came to the hospital," Keifer said. "Every day. You stood in the corner. You didn't talk to anyone."
Yuri's face didn't change. "I was waiting."
"For her to wake up."
Yuri looked at him. "For both of them."
Keifer nodded. He didn't say anything else.
Percy looked between them. His face was bright.
"This is nice," Percy said. "This is very nice. All of us together. In the same room. Not fighting. Not throwing things. Just standing."
Aries walked to the group. They stood beside Percy.
"We're standing," Aries said.
Percy put his arm around Aries' shoulders. "We're standing. We're bonding. We're—"
"You're talking," Yuri said.
Percy's mouth closed. He looked at Yuri. Yuri's face was cold. But his eyes were something else.
"I'm bonding," Percy said. "There's a difference."
Yuri almost smiled. Almost.
"You're annoying," Yuri said.
Percy grinned. "I know."
---
The morning passed.
They stood in the living room, the four of them, shoulders almost touching, not talking, not moving. The sun was high. The house was waking up. Ci N's voice was loud from the kitchen. Keiran's laugh was high and fast. Felix was making coffee. Care was in the garden with Cole. Lyra was in her corner with Alex. Mica was at the table with Calix. Rakki was betting on something with Mayo. Freya was at the door with Erdix. Grace was with Kit. David was eating. Denzel was on the phone. Eman was asleep on the sofa.
Jay walked into the room.
She was wearing black. Her hair was loose. Her face was soft. She looked at the four of them standing together.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
Percy put his arm around Keifer's shoulders. "Bonding."
She looked at Keifer. His face was calm. His eyes were not.
"Bonding," she said.
Keifer walked to her. His hand found hers. His fingers were warm.
"We're bonding," he said.
She looked at Percy. At Aries. At Yuri. At the four of them who had been through the war, who had been through the hospital, who had been through everything.
"You're idiots," she said.
Percy grinned. "We know."
---
The afternoon came.
They sat in the garden, the five of them, on the steps where Keifer had sat alone for weeks. Percy was in the middle, his voice loud, his hands moving. Aries was beside him, their face soft, their eyes on Percy. Yuri was on the other side, his arms crossed, his face cold. Keifer was at the end, his hand in Jay's, his face turned toward the sun.
Percy was telling a story. Something about college. Something about Keifer and a fire alarm and a goat. The story changed every time he told it. It was longer now. Wilder. More impossible.
Jay leaned against Keifer. Her head was on his shoulder. His arm was around her.
"Is any of that true?" she asked.
Keifer kissed her hair. "None of it."
Percy heard him. He stopped talking.
"It's all true," Percy said. "Every word. I have witnesses. I have proof. I have—"
"You have nothing," Yuri said.
Percy looked at him. His mouth was open. His face was offended.
"I have witnesses," Percy said.
"You have no witnesses."
"I have Aries."
Aries looked at him. Their face was calm. "I wasn't there."
Percy stared at them. His mouth opened. Closed. Opened again.
"You're supposed to be on my side," Percy said.
Aries almost smiled. "I'm on no one's side."
Percy put his hand on his chest. "You're breaking my heart."
Aries looked at him. Their face didn't change. But their eyes were soft.
"You'll survive," Aries said.
Percy grinned. "I'll survive."
---
Yuri was quiet.
He sat at the end of the steps, his arms crossed, his face turned toward the garden. The flowers were blooming. The grass was green. The fence where Jay had thrown mud at Keifer was still stained.
Percy moved beside him. His shoulder touched Yuri's.
"You're quiet," Percy said.
Yuri didn't answer.
"You're always quiet. But you're quieter today."
Yuri looked at him. His face was cold. His eyes were not.
"I'm thinking," Yuri said.
Percy waited.
"About the war," Yuri said. "About the warehouse. About—" He stopped.
Percy put his hand on Yuri's shoulder. "About what?"
Yuri looked at the house. At the window where Jay's room was. At the place where she had almost died.
"About losing her," Yuri said. "About losing all of them."
Percy's hand tightened. "We didn't lose anyone."
Yuri looked at him. His face was cold. His eyes were not.
"Not this time," Yuri said.
Percy pulled him close. His arm was around Yuri's shoulders. His face was close to Yuri's.
"Not ever," Percy said.
Yuri looked at him for a long moment. Then he leaned into Percy's arm. Just a little. Just enough.
"Idiot," Yuri said.
Percy grinned. "I know."
---
The sun was setting when they went inside.
Jay was in the kitchen with Keiran, making dinner, her hands steady, her face soft. Ci N was at the table, his phone in his hand, his voice loud. Felix was beside him, his shoulder against Ci N's. Percy was at the counter, making noise, making jokes, making everything normal. Aries was beside him, their hands in their pockets, their face soft. Yuri was in his corner, his arms crossed, his face cold. But his eyes were on Percy. They were always on Percy.
Keifer stood in the doorway. He watched them all. His family. His friends. His brothers.
Jay walked to him. Her hand found his. Her fingers were warm.
"You're staring," she said.
"I'm observing."
She almost smiled. "Same thing."
He pulled her close. His arms went around her. His face was in her hair.
"I love you," he said.
She held him. Her hands were steady. Her heart was full.
"I know," she said.
---
Percy was watching them from the kitchen. His face was soft.
Aries stood beside him. "You're staring."
Percy didn't look away. "I'm observing."
Aries almost smiled. "Same thing."
Percy put his arm around Aries' shoulders. He pulled them close.
"I love you," Percy said.
Aries looked at him. Their face was calm. Their eyes were not.
"I know," Aries said.
---
END OF CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX