Softness In Love

Texts and Pizza

Charlie's POV

 
   When I wake up from my nap I don't feel scared or anxious anymore, my body feeling relaxed and calm just like my mind.

   Confused but not complaining, I assume I just really needed a nap, and yawn as I sit up, rubbing my eyes softly before looking at my alarm clock seeing that it's almost seven o'clock.

   My stomach grumbles and reminds me just what seven means, and I smile when I smell the faint scent of pizza, one of the best things ever created.

   I grab my phone and bring it with me downstairs, not thinking of checking it, and find my Dad sitting in the living room, a beer in hand as he watches TV. He turns when he hears me
come downstairs, and he stands up, setting his bottle down in the table beside him before walking towards me.

   "Hey, so. Uh, you alright?" He asks stiffly, obviously not used to these conversations, and I blush when I remember what caused me to run away from dad earlier.

    "I'm okay." Is all I say, looking away, hoping he won't ask anymore questions, and he doesn't, much to my relief. Instead he just nods and sighs in what seems like relief, and it almost makes me laugh. War hardened dad afraid of emotions.

   I follow him into the kitchen and smile when I see a triple meat pizza next to a chicken alfredo flatbread, and my mouth waters at the smell.

   I grab myself a paper plate from the small stack sitting on the counter and pull me a few slices, my dad doing the same until we go to sit in the living room, the only place in the house that's fully put together.

    When we sit down, I set my phone down on my lap, causing the screen to light up, and I almost have a heart attack when I see the text messages waiting for me there from thirty minutes ago.

    Hey Charlie it's your Mate, Amari. Never     
    though you'd hear those words huh?

   I laugh a little to myself, and stop immediately, my face burning scarlet when I remember my dad sitting next to me eating pizza. I try to ignore the message and eat, but after only two slices, the pizza is back on the plate as I unlock my phone and stare at the message, reading it over and over again.

    Biting my lip, I type out a text and press send without thinking, trying to stop myself
from immediately regretting it.

        No, but I like them.

    Stupid stupid stupid. Now he's going to think I like him too much. I naw on my lip in worry, the pizza some potent forgotten by now, but before I can spiral into a pool of insecurities, my phone lights up again.

        I never thought I would be happy to find my
        Mate. But you proved me wrong.

    My heart swells at the words, and in turn my face flushes once more, my cheeks not having a cool moment all day. I stare at the words for so long, I forget to text back, and after ten minutes another text comes through.

        See you tomorrow?

   He asks me, and I want to laugh over the relief that he wants to see me again tomorrow, and that I didn't scare him away because I'm awkward and human. I type out a response before putting my phone face down and grabbing a slice of pizza, happily taking a bite.

    "Girl or boy?" My dad asks and I choke on my one bite of pizza, struggling to chew and swallow, coughing for a few moments before I turn to my dad.

    "Huh?" I ask, turning towards the TV, wondering if there's a pregnancy I should know about.

     "The person that's making you act all loopy. Boy or girl?" He asks and I stare at him, my mouth open in shock at his casual tone, surprise at the lack of.... well, everything.

    "Wha...how..?" Not knowing why question to ask first none of my sentences get answered, and my father scoffs as if offended.

    "Just because I can't talk about soft shit doesn't mean I don't see and understand it. Your mom and I talked about it two years ago to make sure we were on the same page." He says quietly, his gruff voice thick with hushed tears.

   "And?" I print nervously.

    "We both think your happiness is most important." He tells me simply, and I feel tears come to my eyes, a secret weight I didn't even see being lifted off my shoulders, as if something unlocked in me that I didn't know about.

   I rub my eyes and nod before looking down at my lap shyly. "Boy." I answer and he hums not saying anything at first. 

   "And?" He asks, prompting me, and I bite my
lip as I think about the other possible issue, and I anxiously look away before he placed a hand on my shoulder making me turn back to peek at him. "You can tell me anything, son." He tells me and I nod.

    "He's a werewolf." I tell him and at first there's no reaction, but when I turn my head, I see my dad laughing, his body shaking, and I stare. I haven't seen that look on his face since mom passed. "What?" I ask defensively as he calms down, and he waves his hands in a sorry gesture as he collects himself.

    "I'm sorry, son. But believe it or not, I've met quite a few supers while I was in the military. From all over the world. They still aren't able to join, but just traveling I met so many people. And son, from what I've seen with wolves, youre im for quite a ride." He tells me, laughing once more and I frown, worried that it's a bad thing but before I can ask he pulls me into his side for a one armed quick release hug. "Werewolves feel things hard and fast, and they are fiercely protective. I know how shy and sensitive you are, all I'm saying is get ready for this wolf to turn your life around." He tells me and I smile, grateful beyond words that I have a dad as awesome as I do.

   And it makes me realize something.

   "I'm sorry dad." I tell him and he frowns at me.

   "For what son?"

    "For never giving you a chance to show me how fresh you are." I tell him and this time I watch as his own eyes mist up before he turns from me.

     "Better late and never." Is all he says and I smile as I sit with my dad and text my new Mate, excited about the new life I finally get to have.

~~~~~~~~~
I know you guys love this book so I thought I'd shoot out a quick chapter for you guys.

Thoughts?

Comments?

QOTD: Dragons or Dinosaurs?