I was buzzing with anxiety by the time Michael drove me to work the next day. We’d stopped by my apartment and Michael had run my cats and my overnight bag back inside while I’d ducked low in the passenger seat of the car, just in case the creep who’d taken my phone was watching my apartment.
“Relax, doll, it’s gonna be fine!” Michael told me for the fiftieth time.
“I know, I know.” I mumbled, “But what if he really is some creep and won’t leave me alone? It wouldn't be the first time an Other stalked me. It was only by some miracle that the ones before him stopped! Most of them just lost interest, eventually, yes, but I only escaped one because my family moved. Another one was banished when that priest blessed our house after my parents heard it knocking constantly. Stroopwafel scared another away, apparently some of them are scared of cats. Another one didn’t like it when I threw salt at it!” I put my head in my hands.
“It’s not worth worrying about until it happens, Mercy.” Michael said gently. “And really, unless it’s actively hurting or killing you, it’s not worth worrying over at all, in my opinion!”
“I wish I could just turn it off.” I whispered. “I-I don’t like seeing weird stuff. It only makes things harder for me. I-I wish I was normal.”
“I know, babe, I know,” he paused, “Are your hands okay?”
“They’re blistered, but okay. I don't know if I’ll be able to do anything today at work, but I have to go, so…well, I’ll go."
“Good. Do you think worker's comp would handle it?"
“I have no idea how it even works, but doubt it, I’m not that lucky.” I mumbled.
“Ain’t that the truth! You’re maybe the unluckiest person I’ve ever met!”
We both burst into giggles at this. I was unlucky. Born able to see things that no one else could, so no one believed me, I’d been tormented and taunted by them, and other humans, my entire life.
Michael parked. It was a little bit before I had to start my shift. We went into the cafe, which seemed a little quieter than usual.
“Mercy, how are your hands?!” Olive cried, coming around the counter and hugging me tightly.
“Blistered and sore.” I grimaced.
“Did you go to a doctor?” Carter asked sternly. There was the big brother in him coming out.
“No, I patched her up! I have quite a bit of first-aid training!” Michael cut in.
“Mercy, you have to see a doctor!” My manager frowned disapprovingly, crossing his heavily tattooed arms. "What if they get infected or something?"
“I-I can’t afford it.” I muttered, looking away.
“We’ll work something out.” Carter sighed.
“Thank you, Carter.”
“What are you doing here, Michael?” Olive asked my best friend.
“I lost my phone sometime in the panic of everything yesterday.” I grimaced, shaking my head. “He’s here to meet the person who found it with me.”
“Wow, you had the worst day ever yesterday, didn’t you?!” Olive threw her hands into the air, exasperated.
“No kidding.” Carter studied me thoughtfully, brown eyes warm, but sad.
I looked away. It wasn’t like my very tattooed manager was an ugly guy.
“I looked at the hot water thing that broke yesterday. Looks like the leg on the stand just snapped. We’ll have to replace it.” Carter shook his head, “I’ll have to talk to the owner about that. It shouldn’t be an issue. I can’t believe the leg just snapped like that. That dispenser wasn’t even that old. I have a feeling it was some kind of manufacturing flaw.”
“I guess.” I shrugged, not sure what else to say.
“Not that I’m glad you got burned, but what you did kept that little girl from getting burned instead.” Carter told me.
I shrugged again. “It was just a reaction. And not that I’d want a kid to get hurt, but I’d have rather not burned my hands.”
“I’m sure it makes it hard to write and do your art!” Olive said.
“Yeah.” I managed a weak smile.
“You’ve got some time before you have to clock in, you said you’re meeting the person who found your phone here?” Carter asked.
“Yeah.” I nodded.
“How about something to drink, doll?” Michael asked me, “My treat.”
“No, thanks though.” I shook my head.
“I’m going to make you something.” Carter said decisively. “On the house. Go sit and relax until your shift starts.”
“I won’t be able to do very much today.” I mumbled.
“It’s alright, Mercy.” Carter said earnestly, smiling sadly, “I promise.”
“Okay.” I mumbled, feeling my face heat slightly, but I went and sat.
Michael chatted with Olive for a little while longer before sitting across from me.
“Do you want something? I’ll treat you.” I told him, motioning at the counter.
“You already bought dinner last night. I’ll get something later.” Michael shook his head.
“I just…I can’t do much to thank you.”
“I don’t need you to thank me, Mercy. We’re friends. This is what friends do.” he paused, “Well, I’m really more like your brother, aren’t I?”
“Yeah.” I smiled at him. He really was.
“This is exactly what brothers do, alright? It’s my job. I don’t let creeps bully you and then keep your phone. Not without having a say in it.”
Tears came to my eyes and I wiped clumsily at them. “I love you, Michael.”
“Love you too, hon.” he winked at me. “So, when are you going to let me do your makeup again?”
As a pretty successful makeup artist, he asked me this fairly often.
“I don’t have any reason for you to!” I snorted, shaking my head.
“You don’t need a reason.” he sighed, then snapped his fingers, “I should have just done it for today! Like war paint!”
“Nah, I don’t want this guy to think I’m trying to be pretty for him, or something. He’s already creeped me out enough.” I shivered a little.
“Ah, I get that.” Michael shrugged, then dropped his voice. “So, what sort of…oddities did you say he has?”
“Well, you won’t be able to see them.” I reminded him.
“I know, I just want to hear about them!”
“Well, he has like, lilac eyes. And scales on his neck and arms, but probably more places we can’t see. Oh, and fangs and retractable claws.” I paused. “Yeah, that’s it. Sometimes he comes in with another Other who has cat ears and a lion’s tail.”
“That’s the one who tried to trip you?”
“Yep.”
“Interesting.” Michael mused.
“Here you go. You like chocolate croissants too, right?” Carter put down an iced chai and the mentioned chocolate croissant in front of me. That he’d remembered my favorites surprised me. I remembered Michael's preferred coffee order, but that's only because I'd known him for so darn long. Maybe he thought of me as a friend. Or maybe he had a mind for that kind of stuff, given he was literally the manager of a coffee shop.
“Oh, yeah. Thank you!” I smiled at him, feeling my face heat slightly.
“Sure.” he smiled back, brown eyes crinkling at the edges.
Once Carter was out of earshot and busy at the counter, Michael gave me a pointed glance, saying, “Soooo…” as he tapped his perfectly manicured fingers on the table in front of us.
“Oh stooooop!” I groaned. “I’m just embarrassed at having a fuss made over me!”
“Uh-huh. By a cute guy.” Michael said mildly.
“It’s not like that.” I mumbled, setting my head on the table. “I’m just a damsel in distress right now. That’s all. And he’s nice, so he’s being nice.”
“Sure, honey, sure.” Michael snorted, rolling his eyes. “Honey-baby-sugar pie, he likes you.”
“No he doesn't.” I shook my head vehemently. “He’s just being nice. Guys don’t like me.”
“Babe, that’s just not true!”
“Name one guy who ever liked me during our entire time at school.” I said flatly.
“You were a late bloomer, Mercy.” Michael protested.
“You’re making excuses.” I shook my head, “Because no one liked me then, and no one is going to like me now." Hello pity party! I was really too old for that, wasn't I? I took a deep breath, centering myself, and continued, "It’s alright, I’ve come to terms with it. Even if someone does like me, by some miracle, they stop liking me once they got to know me better, and find out how weird I am. It’s more than just seeing things, you know that.”
“It’d be nice though, right?” my friend tilted his head to the side.
“I...I can't, Michael. You know that.” My voice was strangled, and I looked down.
Michael reached out and patted my hand gently, taking care not to touch the burned portion. “I know. You could try, though. Just see how you feel about it?”
“No, Michael, I…can’t.” I shook my head. “I-I…you know that I am attracted to men, I just…I don’t think I could manage more than kissing.”
“It’s alright, sweetie. I understand.” he smiled sadly.
Michael had always understood me. His concern came from his desire to see me happy, with someone I loved. Anyone else pressing me about it would have made me angry, but Michael was a mom friend.
It was quiet for a few moments, and I took a huge bite of the delicious chocolate croissant. As I did, the door opened, and the Other we were waiting for, Fen or Bog or Swampy or whatever, walked in. I choked a little on my croissant, and had to take a drink from my iced chai as he approached.
The man didn’t even have to speak to show his disdain. He merely arched a single perfect eyebrow at me, the very picture of disapproval as I coughed and wheezed, very red in the face as I tried not to die by misadventure via pastry. Of course he would appear at the most inopportune time.
Michael blinked, turning a slightly stunned gaze to me, his own eyebrows raised.
Yep, the Others had that kind of effect on people. Or rather, this one did. He seemed a bit more attractive than most of the Others like him did, somehow, despite being only a little taller than me, which wasn’t saying much, given I was only about five two.
“Sorry, I-I choked.” I finally managed, waving Carter away, as he was looking on in concern, and had started to approach.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
“Clearly.” The Other's voice was cool and bored-sounding.
“Can I have my phone?” I demanded.
“Do you have proof that it’s yours?” he asked mildly.
“Drop the act. Michael knows everything about me, and this situation.” I muttered, nodding at my friend. “You know it’s my phone. You stole it.”
“Tch.” My phone appeared in his hand, and he set it on the table. I snatched it up, examining it closely and suspiciously. “I only got into it to call and arrange to give it back.” he told me upon seeing this reaction.
“Why take it in the first place?!” I demanded, clutching it tightly.
“Keep your voice down.” He rolled his eyes.
“Why should I? You’re the one who’ll get in trouble if I say you stole my phone. Carter will ban you from here!”
“And what would that accomplish?” the dark-haired Other asked icily.
It went quiet for a few moments as we glared at one another.
Finally, he sighed, then said in a level voice, “I’m Fen.”
“So you said on the phone.” I muttered.
The lilac eyes blinked, flickering to Michael. “She was with you?”
“Who wouldn't go to their best friend for help when they’ve been hurt and terrified?!” Michael crossed his arms. Nothing kept him from being his sassy self, not even the hottest man either of us had ever seen standing before us, giving us attitude.
“I see.” Fen sighed, looking back at me, his strange lilac eyes studying my face.
It was quiet again.
“Why were you antagonizing me after you realized I-I could see you properly?” I muttered, staring down at the table. “I-I never did anything you!”
Fen sighed, “For confirmation.” he paused. “I didn’t mean for you to get burned. That’s on me.”
“You should pay for her to go and get the burns properly looked at. I did what I could for her, but I’m not a doctor. She can’t afford proper treatment, but I can see that you can. That’s a custom silk shirt.” my best friend cast a glance at the man’s feet, “Those are Italian leather shoes. And, hm...I think the pants are from a bespoke fashion house out of Paris.”
It was my turn to stare at Michael, “Is that a super power?”
“A rainbow one, honey.” he grinned broadly at me.
“God I love you, can we get married?”
“Any time, sweetie.” he winked at me. “Think of the tax benefits! And you could be on my insurance." Altogether not a bad idea, if I was being honest.
Fen cleared his throat, interrupting our banter. “I can take you to a doctor.” he said quietly. “When is your next day off?”
“Umm, tomorrow.” I glanced at Michael, “But you work tomorrow.”
“I can ask Tom if he’ll go?” my best friend offered.
“No, no, that’d be extremely weird. And hard to explain.” I shook my head.
“He knows you’re different, in some capacity. Just not details.” Michael shrugged.
“Different indeed.” Fen interjected, drawing our attention again. “How long have-”
The clock in the corner chimed the hour, and I leapt up, muttering, “Sorry, I have to clock in. Excuse me.”
The Other man stepped back, allowing me to pass, and I went over to clock in at the computer.
Michael walked to the counter with me, “Will you be alright if I leave?”
“Yeah, there are plenty of people here.” I told him, managing a smile as I logged in to the computer, a bit clumsy with my hands as they were.
“Want me to pick you up when you’re done?”
“Um, yeah, that’d be nice. Thanks.”
“Sure thing, hon.” Michael smiled. He ordered a coffee to go, then left, shooting one last curious sort of glance at Fen as he left.
The Other man then came and placed an order, and I was glad that Carter was running the register. Though the Other did request, once more, that I be the one to make the tea.
Later, Carter caught me, “What was all that with the dark-haired guy? The one that always sits in the window? He found your phone?”
I sighed. “Yeah.”
“You and Michael looked angry.”
“It’s a long story.” I shook my head. “I don’t feel like getting into it.”
“Everything okay?” he crossed his arms, now visibly concerned.
“Yeah.” I grimaced a little. “Everything's fine.”
“You have your phone back now?” he wanted to know.
“Yeah.”
“Good.”
“He’s been watching you since you clocked in.” Carter muttered, shifting uncomfortably on his feet. I repressed a shiver, but knew he was right, given that I’d felt his gaze the entire time. “Will you be okay?”
“Yeah. Michael is taking me home. And I probably do need to discuss a few more things with him.” I jerked my head in Fen’s direction.
Fen was an odd name. To be fair, so was Mercy.
“Mercy, are you sure everything is okay?” Carter pressed.
“Yes.” I forced a smile. “It’s going to be fine.”
“Alright, well, tell me if you need anything, alright? I’ll do what I can to help.” While we were on friendly terms, the amount of concern he was showing verged on protectiveness. It caught me a little off-guard. It was appreciated, but it did surprise me a little. Was there something to what Michael had said? Did he like me? Surely not. He was just a big brother of girls. He would be protective of me, a younger woman. I think one of his sisters was around my age. Yes, that made sense.
“Thank you, Carter.” I murmured.
I went about the cafe, cleaning up after customers, trying to ignore Fen, who continued to watch me, though he held a book as a pretense that he was reading.
Finally, his voice addressed me. “Mercy.”
I froze, and sighed, then turned, “Yes?” Gods, he was hot. So hot he was hard to look at. I did my best by focusing on the top button of his apparently custom silk shirt.
“I can get you to a doctor when you're done with work today, if you’d prefer. That way your friend can go with us, for your comfort.”
I blinked. “I...um.”
“You have your phone now, reach out and let him know that instead of taking you home, I’ll take you both to a doctor who will treat your hands, no questions asked.”
I chewed my lip, then sighed. “A-alright.”
It was quiet for a few moments.
“Text him.” Fen directed quietly.
“R-right.” I muttered, pulling out my phone and heading back to the counter as I texted Michael, who immediately agreed to the altered plan.
“Everything good?” Carter asked conversationally.
“Yep!” I pretended everything was just hunky-dory, feeling a little tired of him checking in so much, and a little wary because of Michael's words, though I did doubt that they were true.
Now whenever my gaze strayed towards where Fen sat, he was actually reading the book he’d brought, much to my relief, and I was able to relax a little.
Finally, two o-clock came, and I clocked out. “Well, that’s that.” I sighed, wiping my forehead.
“You’re off tomorrow.” Carter reminded me.
“Yep!” I managed a smile. “I could use a break.”
“I’ll say, you worked two weeks straight!” Olive shook her head.
“I could use the money.” I grimaced. “The cats needed their yearly shots from the vet. That's why there was no money for a human doctor, it all had to go to the kitty doctor."
“It’s all good. I just know it’s a lot.” my redheaded friend shrugged, "I would do the same for my dog, Pippa." She returned to sweeping. Pippa was a barrel-shaped chihuahua-pug mix, affectionately dubbed a Chug. She'd visit the cafe from time to time when Olive's mom would drop by.
“You’re on the schedule again two days from now, is that still good?” our manager asked.
“Yeah. Thanks, Carter.”
“No problem.” There was a pause, “You know, if you ever wanted to hang out outside of work, that’d be cool.”
I blinked, and felt my face heat. “Oh, um. Thanks. I’m kind of a home-body, but I appreciate the offer!"
Carter shrugged, “Sure. I know some interesting places with cool bands that play.”
“Uh, right. Um…I gotta go.”
“Alright, see ya.”
“Bye!” I hurried from the cafe, all thoughts about Fen waiting for me totally banished from my mind in my confusion in my alarm at Carter's offer. Had he been asking me out? Or was he just very clumsy at making friends? I mean, we kind of already were friends, despite the fact that he was my manager. No, surely not. He was just comfortable around women, given his sisters. That's all it was. Yes. That's all it was.
I paused once I was outside, and remembered the strange situation I was in. The door jingled, and I saw Fen exit as well. The door swung shut behind him, and he said conversationally, “Your manager has a crush on you.”
My face warmed again. “No! No, he doesn't! It’s just hard to make friends when you’re an adult, that’s all."
“He’s never asked the redhead to hang out after work.”
“Olive?”
“If that’s her name.” the Other man shrugged, putting his hands in his pocket and coming to stand beside me.
“Let’s not stand in front of the window, he’ll wonder what’s up.” I mumbled, suddenly very embarrassed.
“You care what he thinks?”
“That’s not it. I don’t want to try to explain anything about this situation. He’s been curious and concerned about the whole thing." Discomfort that Michael and Fen might be around about a crush on Carter's part hung over me.
“Fair enough."
We stepped away from the window of the cafe.
“Michael said he was on his way, but traffic is a little bad.” I muttered, glancing at my phone, hoping for an update.
“Fine.” Fen nodded.
I was in a public place, so I was relatively safe, I knew.
It was quiet for a few moments.
“Have you always been able to see us properly?” Fen’s voice was mild.
“Yep.” I muttered. “I see all of you. Even the ones that don’t have outward physical forms for other humans to see. All of you Others.”
“What?” he sounded mildly taken aback.
I looked over at him, blinking at his surprise. “I don't know if you have a name for yourselves. Others is just what I’ve always called you.”
“No, not that. What did you say about the ones who don’t have outward physical forms?”
I blinked again, “Um, you know, like…the one that looks like a flower, but with an eyeball in the middle, growing on the wall of the cafe over there.” I motioned vaguely at where I knew the flower Other was, careful to keep my voice down, lest it overhear me and realize I was talking about it.
Fen cast a quick glance over at the wall in question. “There’s nothing there.”
“Oh very funny.” I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms. “I’ve only been told that my entire life. Try something else. Only not liar or crazy, I’ve been called those more times than I care to count. It’s there. I can see it.”
“I can’t.” his voice was quiet.
“It’s not funny!” I was growing angry in earnest now, and tears pricked at my eyes. “It’s one thing for other humans to-”
But Fen interrupted, shaking his head, “I’m not trying to gaslight you. I can’t see anything. Do you see more things like that flower?”
I frowned, confused, and wiped awkwardly at my face with my burned hands. “I-I…there’s a" I motioned wildly with my hand, trying to figure out how to describe what I saw, "shadowy sort of blob hanging around the end of the block. It has a big mouth. If I acknowledge it, it’ll try to eat me, I know. I’ve seen and dealt with ones like it before. Then there's a-a sort of…tiny person over there on the roof of the bus stop. I think it lives in the area, and it’s never bothered me before. But I-I still don’t let it know I can see it, just in case.”
His lilac gaze swept the street. “I never met a human with better eyes than me.”
I frowned, “But my eyes are horrible, I-I have to have glasses.”
“Not like that.” Fen shook his head, sounding vaguely annoyed, “So not only do you see fey folk, you see spirits as well.”
“Wh-what?” My voice sounded very young.
But he was quiet for a few moments.
“Does this run in your family?”
“N-not that I know of.” I frowned. “What…what did you call your people?”
“My people, the ones who have outward physical forms, as you say, we call ourselves fey. Or those of us around here. My kin in certain parts of Asia go by yokai. Other places have other names.”
“Fey.” I blinked. “I never thought I was seeing fairies.” I frowned.
“You see more than just fairies.”
“So you say.”
“We can’t see spirits. Not without special equipment, or if they choose to show themselves. I don’t doubt that they are there.”
A strange sense of relief filled me that he believed me, for some reason. This Other, or fey, rather, as he called himself, believed me when only one other human I’d told ever had, and that was Michael. “Have you ever seen spirits before?”
It was quiet for a few moments before he finally replied, “Yes. With the special equipment we have."
“Good.” I muttered. He might be lying, for all I knew. But to be fair, he had no motivation to lie about it, as far as I knew.
It was quiet again for a few moments.
“Can…can many humans see you all properly?” I asked.
“I’ve never met one who came by it naturally, like you have.” he paused, “That said, there are humans who have been given the ability to see us by other fey. Usually that’s in the form of an enchanted item that lifts our glamours for their eyes only. But we can sense stuff like that quite a ways away. You’re the only one I’ve met who can see us without anything outside help.”
“Thus the novelty.” I sighed.
“Yes.” he shrugged.
“Now…now that you know...er, well, what now?"
“I don’t know.” he shrugged slightly.
“I-I just...sometimes the O-Others,” I paused, frowning, “Well, some of the the spirit ones, specifically, they…they’ve bothered me a-after they realized I-I could see them.”
“Has a fey person ever bothered you?”
“Only you.” I muttered, looking down.
“In the pursuit of confirmation."
“That doesn't make it okay.” I muttered.
It was quiet for a moment.
Finally, he sighed a little. “No. You’re right. I’m sorry for my behavior.” His tone was mild, but it was tinged with regret.
I blinked, surprised at the apology, and almost more so because it did seem sincere. “I-I forgive you.”
More silence.
“Have you never interacted with a fey person before?”
“I have. Many times. You forget I’ve served both you and your friend, the one with the tail, many times.”
“True. Have any of my people ever realized that you could see them properly?”
“I don’t think so. If they did, they didn’t say anything…your friend didn’t notice me notice his tail, since his back was to me. Did he?”
“He didn’t.” Fen shook his head.
“I didn’t think so.” I sighed.
“His name is Aren.”
“I like his cat ears.” I smiled a little.
“Tch.” That had seemed to annoy him, for some reason. “Don’t tell him that."
“Oh I wouldn't. I just like cats.” I snorted, vaguely amused at that.
“Most fey people like cats.” the fey man mused quietly.
Well that just begged my next question, “Do you have cats?”
“A queenly grey tabby named Diana.” Fen admitted.
“I have two!” I laughed, able to set aside my confusion and discomfort for a moment to talk about my babies. “A ridiculous grey tabby with socks named Stroopwafel, and a black fairy cat called Sidhe! He has a white spot that only I can see!”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. Are there other animals like that? With markings only I can see? Everyone else sees him as a solid black kitty.”
“Yes. It’s just a coloring pattern. One that only my people, and you, can see. He’s otherwise a normal cat, I expect.”
“As far as I know, yes.”