Claiming The Remnant

Chapter 14

[ Garrett ]

My thoughts churned. Was this just an easy f**k for Willis? Did they have any interest in me beyond the physical? I had never really considered us as anything more than causal but the way we had connected today… it was something else.

“Willis! Wait.” Panicked by the lock clicking and the office door opening, seemingly all by itself, I darted to my feet. Willis rippled into existence, dropping the magic that camouflaged them. A truly impressive skill - projecting the image of the wall so they could move past undetected. Even more impressive when you considered that the image had to move flawlessly with every step and blend perfectly.

“Yes, Captain.” Willis looked at the floor.

“What's wrong?” There was clear, unmistakable concern in my voice. Stepping directly in front of Willis I considered taking their hand.

“Nothing. I’m heading out to start the mission you briefed me on.” Their tone was empty, betraying emotion in the blatant attempt to be emotionless and their eyes avoided mine.

“There is no rush, Taiya is probably sleeping. Been a long torturous two weeks for her. Stay with me, we can eer,” my eyes darted around the sparseness of my office, “cuddle.” The words felt odd, especially considering there wasn’t a sofa or a bed in here.

“Why?” Willis snipped, powder blue eyes suddenly cutting into me. “You’d just as soon have me strung up and beaten like Taiya as ‘cuddle’ if you felt the need.” Oh… OH.

“Willis…” With a gentle hand I held Jo’s face. “I did not target Taiya because of her magic. Magic… no magic… I don’t care. Did I enjoy beating her? A bit, ye. She’s a loud mouth, uncouth gutter rat who should have handed over the Remnant. Do I trust her? No, she is sly and sneaky and underhanded. Did I enjoy f*****g her? Definitely. She’s feisty and wild in the sack. But none of those things are because of her blue magic. Taiya is Taiya, but you… Willis you,” I felt like I was baring a sliver of my soul, “are so much more and I want to be more to you. The thought of hurting you makes my insides crawl. You are smart and cunning and skillful. You read my mood like the words are written on my forehead and there is a spark of glee that follows you around. We might be casual but that doesn’t stop it being special. s*x with you isn’t just the physical satisfaction it feeds my heart and soul.”

Willis blinked. A slow shocked blink as though this wasn’t really registering.

“I’m just your dirty secret, a s****l experiment. No one wants me, I’m broken.” They pulled away, trying once more for the door. I forced it closed. The tears welling in Willis’s eyes prevented me from letting them leave. This needed to be untangled.

“I like men, I like women and I like you, regardless if you want to be one or the other, both or neither.” The words were just pouring out of me. All prior evidence would point to me not being the touchy feely kind but if I wanted more from Willis I needed to give more of myself.

“Really? You like men? I’ve never seen you look twice at a man and you even said yourself you’ve never put a c**k in your mouth before or was that a lie?” Willis’s head raised just a little, chin jutting defiantly as though they had caught me out.

“Jo… I like men to look at me, not the other way round. Ye Gods, when you projected the King’s face; that was hot. Had me thinking about getting spanked. The point is,” I brought myself back on topic, “I have been with men but always as the receiver. All day long I’m thinking about my duty, protecting everyone, being strong - a little sexist of me but I think a man should take care of his woman.”

“What are you on about?” A scowl creased Jo’s forehead.

“When I’m with Josephine I’m Captain Garrett Preston but when I’m with Joseph I like to be Garrietta and get pampered by my man.” Jo scoffed at me making me wonder if my analogy was offensive. I had kind of compared my desires to Jo’s fluid sexality.

“Garrietta is a stupid name.” Jo gave a tentative smile. “I get what you mean… but then why did you do that today?”

“Because you needed me, Joseph needed me to take care of him. I’m not the same as you in that way.” I sighed seeing Jo flinch a little at my words, I wasn’t explaining myself right. “I mean, you are like a coin; a different face either side, sometimes you balance on the edge but it’s all you and I wouldn’t even dream of asking you to leave a part of you behind because I know that’s not possible. Me though, I’m like… like a person with lots of shoes.” I grimace at my own analogy while Jo simply raised an eyebrow. “The feet are always the same but the shoe changes for the occasion. Some shoes are more comfy than others and some get worn more often.” With an exasperated flap of my arms I went to step away, I’d said what I needed to say and if Willis wanted to leave then that was that. “Sorry, that was stupid.” I huffed at the floor.

“It wasn’t stupid.” They said, a delicate hand on my arm. “I didn’t realise you understood me like that or that you were so complex. Honestly, I’ve like liked you for a while but I thought I was just an easy shag for you.”

“Sure it was casual, but never meaningless. I’d like for us to be exclusive? To start a relationship?” My heart was hammering in my chest and my palms were sweaty. This had all moved so fast. Feelings had been slowly developing for a while but this evening they had bloomed.

“Do you think of me as a woman or a man?” Jo asked, more serious than I have ever known them to be.

“Neither. In my head you’re always, Jo or Willis. I speak of you as them, they, their unless you present to me a Josephine or Joseph.” I watched those captivating eyes as I spoke. Shadows of fear and anger shifted and rolled, becoming smaller with each word I uttered. When I was done only a glimmer of uncertainty remained.

“Really?” The question a plea.

“Really.” The sound barely completed before Jo’s arms were wrapped around my neck and their lips were seeking mine.

“I would like to be in a relationship with you too.” Jo trembled in my arms after kissing me. Holding them close, my head nestling in the crook of their neck, I took a moment to breathe. My heart felt so full and I couldn’t help but inwardly thank Ye Gods of the Earth and Sky for blessing my words.

“How about we start by you sitting on my lap and telling me about what upset you today?” I murmured, still holding Jo to me. The smell of my lavender soap on their skin was like a subtle sign, calling out that they were mine.