Ezekiel rolled his eyes and looked back down at his phone. In her attempts at reconciling the team, Cassandra had invited them all back to her place for pizza and beer. Baird had politely declined, saying she really just needed some time to decompress. Ezekiel was beginning to wish that he'd done the same.

But there was pizza and he had trouble saying no to that.

But he was starting to really feel like a third wheel. Oh, Cassandra was trying to involve him in the conversation, asking about his solo adventures, trying to include him in her stories. And Stone was actually making an effort to use "you" as a plural. But . . .the two of them had a tendency to make eye contact with each other and totally forget he was even there.

And really, Ezekiel was starting to remember why he didn't often hang out with them outside of work. For the Library, he was willing to make an effort to work with them. They did work better together as a team and Jones did like feeling important. The Library was in a whole lot of need of his particular expertise. So he'd hang around and try to make it work again. But socially? Stone and Cassandra were so boring. Cassandra was so sweet but she and the cowboy just seemed much more into just hanging out and talking.

Ezekiel did have a social circle in Portland. He wouldn't call them friends by any stretch but they were people to hang with. And there was a party going on that seemed way more interesting than this snoozefest.

"Alright," Ezekiel finished his slice of pizza. "I'm off then."

Cassandra looked nervous suddenly and Jones refrained from rolling his eyes. "So soon?"

"Places to go, people to see. Thanks for the pizza. See you tomorrow?"

"Sure." Cassandra nodded and went to get up.

"Think I can find my way out," he grinned and her, then nodded at the other man. "Stone."

"Night, Jones."

After Jones left, Stone and Cassandra stared awkwardly.

"Maybe I should . . . ." Stone shifted uncomfortably.

"No!" Cassandra blushed catching herself. "I don't really want to be alone . . .I mean. . . ."

"It's been a rough couple of days." Stone said softly.

She nodded. "Barely enough time to catch our breaths. "

"Tell me about it. The Queen of Hearts almost took my head off!"

"Still wrapping my mind around that, fictional characters coming to life? Literally off the pages of books?"

Stone shook his head, "the deeper into magic we get, the weirder it gets that's for sure."

Cassandra started to box up the leftover pizza. "And Frankenstein's monster getting plastic surgery and trying out for sports? Weird is one word for it."

Stone shook his head, "Baird and I had to run around setting up a looking glass. Flynn hugged it out and Jones set that uh guy up with a girl!"

"Now, now, Jones did get nearly choked in the bargain. Be nice."

"I'm tryin'. Here, let me help you with that." Stone reached for the box and winced remembering it was his bad hand.

"You're lucky you got out of that with just a burn," Cassandra said, her voice halfway between scolding and concern. He had a feeling she wasn't sure what to do with her worry. He only nodded and remembered to use his left hand as he helped her finish cleaning up the remains of dinner.

When they were finished cleaning up, they returned to the living room, taking their seats once more. Jacob kept telling himself he really should leave. But he also really didn't want to. Three months had both seemed like an eternity and had gone in a blink of an eye. And he'd missed the team, Cassandra in particular. And then there was the elephant in the room, they hadn't discussed the hug at all. Jacob wasn't sure how to bring it up. But it seemed like it was important, that that moment had been important.

He started to rub the back of his neck but stopped just in time before he hurt himself. "About . . . ."

Cassandra spoke at the same time, "Jacob, about the . . . second sun . . .I . . ."

He cut her off, rubbing his neck with his left hand and keeping his eyes downcast and his voice soft. "I was scared, Cassie."

"I saw it in your face. We've faced minotaurs and wolves and you nearly got electrocuted. . . ."

"That's just it. We were a we. I was afraid that we weren't. That I didn't have a team at my back, that I didn't have you at my back."

Cassandra was silent and Jacob continued to stare at the floor. He was startled when she was suddenly next to him on the sofa instead of across on the armchair.

"Jacob?" she asked, sitting so close that her thigh was touching his. "Look at me."

Slowly. he raised his head up and turned toward her. She gently placed her hand on the side of his face and almost instinctively he leaned into her touch. This touching was new, she'd never really touched him before, but he welcomed it.

"I'm always going to have your back. You just have to let me."

Her eyes were so blue and earnest. Why had he ever turned away from her?

He nodded. "From now on, I promise. And you know I'll always have yours as well."

She stared at him, as if searching for something in his eyes, whatever it was she was looking for, she must have found it. She nodded and started to remove her hand from his face. But he covered her hand with his good one, leaving it there.

"Jacob?"

He took her hand in his and brought it up to his mouth kissing her knuckles. She looked a little confused but she certainly didn't look like she objected.

He lowered her hand but still kept it loosely held in his.

"I didn't believe before . . ."He took a breath, trying to gather his thoughts. "You know in books and movies, some guy is always tellin' a girl he's stronger because of her?"

She nodded, her confusion still evident, although she hadn't taken her hand back nor had she broken her eye contact with him.

"I always thought that was heap of bull. But then . . . ." He shook his head, trying to get to the point. "Today I was doubtin' myself. And you . . .you hugged me. And suddenly, I could do anything. Anything at all because you believed in me. And Cassie . . . ."

He didn't finish his words because Cassandra suddenly leaned forward, pressing her lips against his. He kissed her back, gentle and sweet, full of promise. And it only ended when he totally forgot himself and reached this bad hand up to cradle her face in his palm.

"I have to stop doin' that," he muttered with a soft chuckle at himself.

"Are you okay?" Cassandra asked and he was certain she wasn't just asking about his hand.

"More than. You?"

She nodded. "This isn't . . . a mistake is it?"

He shook his head. "Don't feel like one. Unless you . . . ."

"No, it feels right. Just for the record, yesterday, you were . . . ."

"Flirtin' with you? Yep. You were flirtin' back . . . ."

She giggled. "Yep."

He laughed and then kissed her again. This time it was Cassandra who put her hand on his face. He was grateful for her helping get the angle right, it was such a habit of his to do that while kissing that he was finding it difficult to get things quite right.

"What's the matter?" She asked, breaking off a kiss.

"Can't quite get the angle right, damn hand."

She shook her head at him, biting her lip and tilting her head to study him.

"What? I'm sorry! It's a habit and it won't work with my left hand."

"No, I was figuring out how . . . ." She stood up suddenly but before he could ask her where she was going, she was sitting on his lap. On hand on his chin, the other in his hair, coaxing him gently toward her. This time the angle was perfect and as they deepened the kiss, he moaned low in his throat in appreciation.

The kisses continued, though through some unspoken discussion, they kept them on the sweet side. His left hand landed on the soft skin of her leg where her already very short skirt had ridden up. He was tempted, but settled for just drawing tiny circles with his thumb while he continued to kiss her.

Finally, with one last kiss, he broke away from her. "Darlin', I should probably go."

"But . . . ."

"I don't want to start anything we're not ready to finish."

She bit her lip but nodded. "You're right. But we're going to explore this right?"

He grinned at her. "Yeah. How about I call you in the morning? Provided we don't have to save the world immediately. Maybe we'll get breakfast?" Cassandra started to agree but yawned instead and he laughed. "Or maybe lunch. I could sleep to noon myself actually."

"Sleeping in sounds perfect. And so does lunch." She grinned and kissed him on the nose. He blushed slightly but smiled back. "I missed you, Jacob."

"I missed you too."

She slid off his lap and walked him to the front door. He carefully put his arms around her waist, so his bad hand wasn't actually touching her and kissed her good night.

"I'll call you," he said as she opened the door. "Oh and Cassie?"

"Yeah?"

"Wear that skirt again sometime, okay? It looks really good on you." Then he winked at her.

She blushed, but shook her head at him. "Night Jacob."

"Night, darlin."

The End