Katy sat on her bed, in her normal room, and she knew she had to get up and go to her job. Her job. Or was she fired from that? Ugh. Searching for another job then. But… did she need to? Or want to? She helped save the world, go to Kamar-Taj, karaoke with Wong… it was too much. She wondered if she could simply hide in her room all day and smiled as she heard her phone ping with Shaun’s text tone. She was never going to get to calling him Shang, not unless he really wanted it, but she would tease him about it for the rest of their lives.
You okay? Or hungover? was the question.
She laughed. No. To both.
Your mom is wondering if you’re ever coming out of your room and wondering what we got up to last night. Including if it was a date. There was another pause before a second text message. I’m wondering too and a bit worried.
She groaned. Another wish was her family would let up on that. She did not need the fact that he would only see her as a friend shoved in her face every time he came over. He did not want her that way. Sure, they had a sweet moment after saving the world, but that did not mean anything. No matter what Xialing said or Katy thought she said. The smells of food did make her stomach growl as she put her phone down and threw on some clothes. She went into the kitchen, giving her grandmother and then mother a kiss hello.
“Good, you’re up,” her mother said. “We want to hear all about your trip!”
Katy blinked and turned to give Shaun a look.
Shaun put up his hands. “In my defense, Waipo asked first because Wong showing up last night went viral.”
Katy made a mental note to yell at Wong next time they went out for karaoke. “It was – well, it was an adventure. Helped me figure out my focus.”
“Hopefully into another job?” Mrs. Chen asked before giving her daughter a plate of food.
“I’m not sure archery can be made into a job, mom,” Katy said before going to sit down.
Shaun chuckled.
“Shut up,” Katy said.
“Manners,” Mrs. Chen said.
“Sorry mom,” Katy said but smiled at Shaun. They both turned their head to Waipo as she spoke.
“You don’t need a job. You need Shaun to propose.”
“Okay, my appetite is gone,” Katy said.
Shaun looked down at his plate of food, playing with a bit of food.
“Mother, you cannot just say things like that,” Mrs. Chen said as she came over. “But the two of you would make a nice couple.”
“Mom!” Katy said.
“Are they both pointing out what we all know again?” Ruihua asked as he came in.
Katy got up, putting the bowl of food in his hands, and went back to her room. She grabbed a backpack purse and her phone before going back out and addressing Shaun. “Let’s go.”
Shaun finished up what he was eating, saying something to Waipo, as Katy waited by the door. He gave her a sheepish smile as they headed out the door. When they were walking away from the building, he said “sorry.”
“You don’t need to apologize for them. I should be apologizing,” Katy said with a shrug. “I don’t even know what we’re supposed to be doing today.”
Shaun grinned and grabbed her hand, making goosebumps rise up her arm, and led them into an alley. “I talked to Wong about that yesterday after you fell asleep.”
His hand feels nice was shoved into the way back of his mind. “Okay? And the answer is an alley?”
“No, he gave me a way to get back to the gate to Ta Lo,” Shaun said and looked to her. “If you want to go.”
“Want to?! Hell yes I want to go!” Katy said. “How are we going to get back?”
“Head out to the gate, use the same thing to get back,” Shaun said. “He said I could use the rings to fly but…” he looked down.
She gently squeezed his hand. “You’re not your father,” she said quietly.
“I worry about using the rings even though I need to train with them,” he admitted. “I – what if I am like my dad? That they’ll effect me that so much that… that I think I hear you in trouble? Or mom coming back from the dead? Or my sister? What if I hurt you?”
“I think I can take you,” she said, which earned a chuckle. “Why are you so worried about me, Shaun?”
He shook his head and sighed. “We should – “
“And we will,” she said, firmly. “Shaun, answer my question.”
“Because I’d never forgive myself if something did,” he said, looking at her. “Because I wouldn’t just be losing a friend. I would be losing someone I care about, deeply, who, despite my lame name change, might feel the same way back.”
“It, um, it was extremely lame,” she said, her mouth suddenly dry. “Um – “ her witty comebacks were failing her. How long had she wanted this? Possibly since they started working together parking cars. But for it to be a reality? For him to feel the same way?
“I was hoping it was just a bad hit to the head and hearing your family thinking we should be together but it’s not,” he said. “It’s never been.”
“Yeah,” she said. “How long for you?”
“Hotel California.”
She blinked. “What?”
“The first time you belted out Hotel California,” he said, smiling sheepishly. “You?”
“After Berkeley,” she said. She smiled and pulled him close, kissing him. Her heart beat faster when he wrapped his arms around her and deepened the kiss. When they broke for air, she chuckled. “So, knowing how we both feel about each other out of the way…”
“We should get going?” he asked.
“Or go back to the apartment and tell my mom,” she said as he paled. She laughed. “Yeah, I feel the same way. Gate?”
“Gate,” he agreed, using the bit of magic Wong gave him to get there. After that, they used the path through the waterfall to get to Ta Lo, not letting go of each other’s hand for the longest time.