After a week, Terrance started wanting to spend more time with Tessa outside of her just giving him information and being his point of contact for the Council of Terrance. She was funny, nice, and a little quirky. Terrance did not remember ever making friends with someone so easily. She was coming over and Terrance was going to offer to let her stay in his guest room so she wouldn't have to keep living in the hotel room just to be able to help him here. He had talked himself out of the offer the day before, but he didn't think she would take it the wrong way even if she didn't want to take the offer. Terrance was trying to finish up his current software design contract during the past week so he wasn't sure exactly what Tessa did during the day when he was working. Due to that, she would come over in the evenings and they would discuss things about the multiverse. She had brought him a few printed packets of information that he had been going through and making notes about. Maybe today they could walk to the local park and have some time to hang out before he bombarded her with his lists of questions later.
He heard the doorbell ring, so he knew that it must be her. He got a little nervous and had to center himself.
'It's just Tessa, she is nice, and seems like she could be a good friend. Don't get so nervous' he thought to himself.
He went to the door and confirmed it was Tessa and let her in. She seemed to have a mischievous glint in her eye.
"Alright, I'm not reading your mind, but I can tell you have something you want to ask," she said.
"Do you want to go to the park?" Terrance blurted out.
"Hmmm... I can tell there is something else, too, but sure the park sounds nice. Let's go."
Terrance almost grabbed Tessa's hand but stopped himself. Instead, he just grabbed his backpack from the hall. He wasn't sure why he would try to hold her hand like that. He checked that he had his phone, wallet, and keys. He locked up the door behind them as they exited his home. He got contemplative about his instinctive move towards Tessa while they walked to the park.
Tessa was trying her best to not let her psychic powers latch on to Terrance. For some reason, whenever she was around him, she was getting more and more impressions of his mental state. Those just made her more curious and she wanted to take a peek inside, but she was trying to behave.
'Rifling through people's minds is not good behavior. You know how much of a storm his brain is compared to nearly everyone else from your first glances.' Tessa thought to herself.
They walked to the park in fairly companionable silence, each wondering why the other seemed different than other people. As they walked into the park, Terrance headed in a specific direction. He didn't realize he should have said what he was doing, but Tessa was curious enough to just follow. She had already learned that this Terrance often got lost in his own head from an outside perspective, but when she had peeked, the chains of thoughts and ideas he had were quite fascinating. It almost seemed like Terrance could have two separate chains of thought going at the same time. Terrance made it to a bench that was under the shade of an old oak tree. He smiled and looked at Tessa.
"We made it at a good time. This is the best place in the park to watch the sunset." Terrance said as took off his backpack and sat on the bench. He unzipped the backpack and then pulled out some kind of snack bar. He kept one for himself and handed one to Tessa. She sat down beside him as she accepted the snack.
"I have some water in here if you get thirsty, too," he said.
"Oh thanks," she replied.
"Tessa, do you like your hotel room?" he asked
Tessa had learned that non sequiturs from Terrance were often because his thoughts were going faster than his mouth, so the sudden topic change didn't throw her. She was guilty of distractions, tangents, and nonsequiturs herself.
"It's fine. It's got a bed, a fridge, a microwave, and the internet," she replied.
"Do you want to live with me instead?"
"What?" she replied. She had not expected this.
"I mean I have a nicer bed, a bigger refrigerator, a microwave, and faster internet also," Terrance said rapidly.
Tessa just stared at him with her mouth slightly open.
Terrance tried to salvage the situation, "I mean I do have a nice bed, but there is a guest bed also."
"Terrance, what do you..." said Tessa trailing off.
If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.
"This is not coming out right. I'm all flustered because you are so pretty. Wait, no." Terrance said and then literally covered his mouth with his hand while his face turned red.
'This is not what I expected at all. He looks so flustered it's kind of adorkable' Tessa thought. Then Tessa realized she thought that Terrance was adorkable and she started blushing. The two socially awkward people sat in silence for a few minutes before Terrance spoke up.
"Tessa, can you do your thing, please?"
She reached over and grabbed his hand and then they both started thinking about the fact that they were holding hands.
"Umm Terrance, I need you to think about whatever you wanted to show me," Tessa said in Terrance's head with a mental chuckle added in to let him know she wasn't upset and because it was her honest emotion.
Terrance's mind flashed through a series of arguments, notes, and reasons about why it would make sense for her to stay at his house. There was way too much detail planned out, but it boiled down to him worrying about her in a strange city, wanting her to have somewhere where she could feel more comfortable, and not wanting to be a burden on her since she was literally only here to help him make it through a major world change that was coming. He probably didn't mean to present it directly, but that little secondary train of thought that was there sometimes would bounce in and out telling about how he also wanted to spend more time with her.
"Sure, Terrance, it's not the usual practice for a new integration, but I can stay with you. It makes sense" she said out loud. She started to withdraw from his mind and they sat there in silence watching the sunset. It was about thirty seconds before they realized they were holding hands and they both let go abruptly and looked a little embarrassed.
When the sun was mostly set, they headed back to Terrance's home. Neither said much on the way. Tessa was unable to stop herself from peeking at Terrance's thoughts a little. She was seeing lots of questions about the multiverse and he apparently had lists of questions back home. He had prioritized asking her to stay at his place first because he thought that would be the most helpful course of action for her.
Tessa didn't realize it herself, but Terrance noticed that she started walking close enough that their hands would nearly bump each other, and as soon as he had that thought she flinched and looked guilty. He realized she was peeking in his mind again. He had started to pick up the queues when she was doing it. He didn't mind as long as she didn't try to pick fights about anything that might pop up in his head, which she had never done. He didn't think she was peeking right now, so he should probably say that part out loud. She had referred to skimming surface thoughts as peeking before, and so that was how he would refer to it to not draw attention from any passerby.
"Tessa, I know you peek sometimes," Terrance said "and I don't mind most of the time as long as you aren't going to try to pick a fight or tell anyone, even the Council of Terrance, what you see in there. I think I know you at least well enough to know you don't tell them everything and don't let them abuse your ability."
"I haven't been... maybe just a little... Well, you go quiet and I just get so curious, sorry. But it's like Vroooom in there sometimes and then I get distracted by everything you are thinking in there. Your mind never actually stops." Tessa replied sheepishly.
----------------------------------------
Later back at Terrance's home, Tessa was answering some of Terrance's questions about the multiverse, many of which she didn't think anyone had definitive answers for. Tessa started looking around and imagining herself staying here. Terrance realized she had gotten distracted and stopped asking questions while he made some notes.
"I think I have settled on a potential codename or nickname to use within the Council of Terrance," he said after a few minutes.
"Oh, what did you come up with?"
----------------------------------------
"It's a great name!"
"Terrance, no one will take you seriously."
"I'm probably going to get superpowers, I can be a little ostentatious. This is the backup at least. You said to have something ready so they don't force something on me."
"You have more than a week. You should have a few months at least. They will just call you Terrance-256 for now anyway so this is the 256th universe to join the multiverse."
"Well, at least I was prepared," Terrance said a little dejectedly.
"Look, maybe you can use a superhero codename, but we should at least wait until we know what power you get if your universe even does develop superpowers."
"Fine, this is still the backup. I'd rather be called it than something like Steve."
"What's wrong with Steve?" Tessa asked.
"It's too boring. If I can't use my name and I'm part of some multiverse group of other Terrances, then I want to have a cool name."
"You are a huge nerd," Tessa said while laughing.
"Yes, I am the biggest nerd and I'm proud of it." Terrance boldly proclaimed while also laughing. He continued, "You can't tell me you don't at least have a secret superhero name you thought of. You literally have psychic powers."
Tessa just laughed and said, "Nope, I'm definitely not going to admit to anything right now."
----------------------------------------