“Yes. Red tribe Norman solve complicated puzzle. Blue tribe Emily no solve puzzle. Red tribe food, blue tribe no food.”
“Sucks to be them. Fortunately, we can order pizza whenever we want. Cheese, anchovies, or meatlovers?” I ordered three different kinds because I wasn’t sure what Omni likes and also hoping he’ll have some leftovers for tomorrow when I’m at work.
Omni tries to shrug, the motion making him wince again. I gotta admit his dedication to the role is absolute. Every time he makes a bigger motion with his “broken wing”, he winces as if he’s actually in pain. Every single time. It’s a little disturbing to watch, but since he’s basically acting like a lost, overgrown puppy and I’m not getting any dangerous psycho vibes from him, I’m willing to overlook it.
Apparently, Omni has never had pizza before, which makes me revisit the abuse theory. I give him a slice of each before gesturing for him to sit down and eat. I normally eat in front ofthe TV but it won’t kill me to use the table for once. Omni spends a few seconds scowling at the chair before turning it around so that the backrest is facing the table then sits down. Right, he can’t use normal chairs because of the wings. I want to roll my eyes, but remind myself that making fun of neurodivergent people is a terrible thing to do. It’s not like Omni’s hurting anyone with his quirks. The only one he’s making life harder for is himself, and that’s his choice.
To be honest, having him here hasn’t exactly made my life any easier, either. But, since I was the one who decided to bring him home with me, I can’t really hold a grudge over any issues that might arise from his quirkiness.
After carefully sniffing each slice, Omni chomps down on the meat pizza. His expression turns so blissed-out I have to smother a giggle by slapping my hand over my mouth. Noticing me laughing, Omni grins triumphantly. “Many good,” he says before taking another enormous bite.
“Ah yes. Pizza is universally known to be the Earth’s greatest invention.”
He rumbles a laugh but doesn’t respond, too busy devouring the food. I join him in eating and, in companionable silence, we polish off two of the three pizzas, leaving most of the cheese one for Omni to eat tomorrow. After dinner, I head for the bathroom. Emerging some time later, I’m wrapped in a large bathrobe because he doesn’t need to see my tiny sheep pajamas that show entirely too much skin. Omni is busy playing with the tablet I gave him. I’m pleased to see he managed to turn the app on and even found the right charger for the device. Right now, he sits cross-legged on the rug in front of the couch, completely focused on his ABCs, his wings spread behind him like a feathery waterfall. He takes up a ridiculous amount of space in my tiny apartment, like an oversized toy stuffed into a Barbie doll house. He’s beyond adorable as the voice from the app guides him tofind A for an apple and he grins happily when he succeeds. He doesn’t get it on the first try, though, which is a little strange. It’s like he’s never actually seen an apple before.
When I clear my throat audibly, he sets the device aside and looks up, still with that excited grin. “So, you’ll be sleeping on the couch.”
His brows crease as he observes the tiny piece of furniture where he has no chance of fitting, but he bravely nods. I guess even my couch is better than staying outside. “Don’t worry,” I assure him. “It’s a fold-out couch, it gets bigger. Slightly.” It still won’t be comfortable, especially with the wings, but it’s not like we’re swimming in options here. “Help me move the coffee table.” Grabbing the table as if it weighs nothing, Omni carries it to the side of the room by himself. Then he watches curiously as I fold out the couch.
I grab some bedding from the hall cupboard and make the bed, taking it in critically once I’m done. “It’s not perfect but it will have to do.”
“Is perfect,” Omni objects, then corrects himself, “It is perfect.”
If he truly didn’t speak English before today, he’s a fast learner. Unless he’s pranking me. For what purpose, though, I wouldn’t know, so it’s easier to just give him the benefit of the doubt.
“Thank you, Fin,” he adds.
He’s always so earnest with his gratitude it makes me regret doubting him. “It’s okay. Listen, I have to go to work tomorrow.” I don’t want to leave him here alone. Obviously it’s a bad idea to leave a complete stranger alone in my apartment but I can’t miss the shoot tomorrow and I already took a day off on Friday to attend the convention so there’s absolutely zero chance of Mr. Robertson giving me more. At least I secured the puppies for tomorrow. Had I not, he would have probably fired me on the spot.
“Okay,” Omni says, gazing at me with those impossibly blue eyes. “Omni help Fin?”
I chuckle. “I wish you could, but no. If you really don’t have anywhere to go, you can stay here, but there are rules. No breaking anything, no setting the house on fire, no stealing, no making a mess. No bringing anyone over. Just…don’t trash the place, okay?”
“Okay. Omni stay. No fire, no mess. TV teach words.”
I stare at him as I mentally translate what he said into actual words. Sometimes he really does sound like an alien that has just begun to learn English and…that’s an extremely offensive thought. Damn you, Caleb! “Yes, you can watch TV or do something on the tablet. There will be leftover pizza in the fridge and there’s some bread, ham and cheese, so you won’t starve to death. I’ll be back in the afternoon with more food. Is that okay? Will you be alright on your own?”
“Yes, Fin,” he replies and I swear he almost rolls his eyes. “Omni okay. No worry.”
“No worry, sure. Easy for you to say, buddy.” Taking in a deep breath, I try to let go of my concerns. I’ve made the choice to trust Omni so now I have to follow through. For what it’s worth, I don’t think he’s going to rob me or damage something intentionally. “I have to get up early tomorrow, so I’m going to bed.” I have to get up early because I have to buy some dog food the dogs will actually eat and that, ideally, looks similar to Pupper’s Choice, so post-production won’t spend hours editing the shots. “Feel free to stay awake for however long you want, just lower the volume on the TV if you want to keep watching. I don’t want any neighbors complaining.”
Since he looks clueless, I show him the correct buttons on the remote.
“Thank you, Fin,” Omni says earnestly, his fingers brushing against mine as he takes the remote from me. “Many, manythank you.” He looks like he wants to say a lot more, but the odd language barrier is stopping him. Sighing in defeat, he slowly raises his hand to my cheek, waiting for my reaction. Too surprised to protest or move away, I watch him as he brushes a lock of hair behind my ear with infinite gentleness. In the wake of his fingers, my skin tingles inexplicably. “Many thank you, Infinity,” Omni repeats in the most attractive low purr I’ve ever heard. In fact, I don’t even mind that he said my full name because in that voice, even my name sounds good.
Letting his hand drop, he watches me as if waiting. For what, I don’t know. Feeling like I should reciprocate the surprisingly intimate gesture, I raise my hand slowly, just in case Omni really has been abused and it triggers him. He doesn’t seem upset, though, and when I let my hand hover over his cheek, he leans into the touch. His skin is smooth and I find myself wondering if he used my razor to shave or if he naturally doesn’t grow any facial hair. Judging by the perfect softness under my palm, I’d say it’s the latter. After a moment of letting him nuzzle my palm, I repeat what he did and brush back a few strands of his shoulder length, unbelievably blonde hair behind his ear. It’s soft and smooth, still a little damp from the shower he took earlier. Tomorrow, I’ll have to show him how to use a blow dryer. His eyes don’t leave mine for a second and from this close up, the slightly off shape of the pupils are even more noticeable. They’re mesmerizing.
As if breaking from a trance, I step back, shaking my head from side to side. “You should take the contacts out before going to bed,” I whisper. Why am I whispering? In fact, what in that actual fuck am I doing? I absolutely cannot be intimate with this beautiful man. It’s not right. He’s completely dependent on me and there’s still the issue of his potential cognitive disability. How can I be sure that any consent he gives is genuine and informed when I can’t say for sure what’s going on in that headof his? The truth is, I can’t, which means I have to stay away from him.
“I’m going to bed,” I repeat. “Alone.” In case that wasn’t obvious. “Call me if you need anything.”
“Yes.”
Is it just my imagination or does Omni sound a little breathless? Doesn’t matter, I remind myself. I’m going to bed. “Good night, Omni.”
He smiles and I swear those eyes are burning holes straight into my soul. “Good night, Infinity.”
Chapter 10
