Night Watch I: Eliza, Ward of Andrew

*Andrew’s POV*

I felt like I was missing some critical piece of information. While it was obvious Eliza had just been joking around and not truly flirting, what did that mean? What did she think of me? Was I too serious? Did she think I was effeminate, not muscular enough? Eliza had never seen me fight! Did she think I was too young to be a Second Officer? Did she think I was ugly because of all the scars from the wounds I hadn’t treated? I didn’t even know how many times my nose had been broken… I scowled as I fetched the bit of wood I’d found that would work as a splint and my little hand axe. It took a conscious effort not to slam the door on my way out.

Why should it bother me, anyway? Masculinity was a stupid concept! Who fucking cared if my Night Watch partner found me attractive or not? It was fucking perverted that I would even consider thinking of Eliza in such a way after all she had been through!

What the fuck was wrong with me!?! I chopped through the stupid fucking splint in one blow.

Why couldn’t I get my damned dick to behave?!? I hacked at a rotting log on the ground, bellowing in useless anger.

Everything had been stable, predictable, under control, now everything was different! I felled a small tree, grunting and panting in rage, my wings flapping haphazardly.

I missed Juliet! I threw down the axe, clenched my fists, and screamed as loud as I could before collapsing to my knees.

As my fucking shit luck would have it, perhaps two seconds later, I hear the crunching of footfalls. Whoever it was likely got an earful. I looked up and saw, of all people, Jake walking towards me.

Jake was an interesting guy. The Day Watch had almost fallen to pieces after the troll raid three years ago. Theo and Pat had both been killed, leaving them no ranked Officers. Several of the Day Watchmen had called for some of the Day Fae Councilmembers to leave the Council to lead the Day Watch, and that was the only time I have ever seen Councilman Sebastian completely lose his shit, ranting about duty and honor. Half of the Day Watch had practically started a brawl in the middle of a Council Meeting, and though Vas and a few others had kept the worst in line, it had started to escalate.

Jake had gotten irritated at seeing the Day Watch embarrass the shit out of themselves, stood up on a seat, and given a very short, but stirring, speech. Fuck if I remember exactly what he said, but it was good. Something about how they were better than that... It had worked; they had all settled the fuck down. And just like that, Elder Ozzy, at the time, made Jake the new First Officer, Vas his Second, and sent everybody home.

I didn’t know Jake very well personally, and I wasn’t really in the mood for a speech. He must have just finished with Day Watch, for him to be walking up the path; Dusk must just have started… what convenient timing. He walked up to me, then squatted down next to me, holding his massive, red and gold, moth-like wings out for balance.

I held Jake’s gaze as he squinted at me, resting his elbows on his knees. He looked concerned. I was so embarrassed, I had no idea what the fuck to say. Just then, you could hear the sound of Eliza singing to herself coming faintly from the window slat of my shelter. Jake peered at my house, then back at me.

“Andrew,” he spoke carefully, and sympathetically, “I suggest you jerk off.” He patted me on the shoulder. “Regularly. If you still like her in a few days, tell her then.” He nodded, then rose to his feet and walked off. I spotted a small garter snake following in his wake. Strange.

I doubted Jake was clairvoyant. Damn that guy was good.

Notes

aww, poor dude!