5. Alfie

Chapter 5

Alfie

An alarm blares and I wake to a purring kitty and a rabbit pressed against my naked chest. The bunny, Pisces , bounces up and shifts to his human-self to turn off the phone. He must have forgotten I’m here because he shrieks and covers his groin with a pillow all at the same time he falls out of the bed with his legs sticking straight in the air. The cat, Harold , the sweetie pie, seems to grumble and glare in the general direction of Pisces before settling back down.

I chuckle as I slide Harold out of the way so I can crawl over the bed and look down. Unmoving, Pisces stares at the ceiling, clutching the pillow to his crotch. He doesn’t seem hurt, more embarrassed than anything.

“Are you okay? You went down pretty hard.”

“I’m fine,” he croaks out. “I just didn’t want you to see me.”

I cock my head. “Why not? You’re gorgeous Pisces.” I didn’t think shifters had anything against nudity, but I guess Pisces is different, which is fine.

“I’m plain. Plain Jane Pisces. There’s nothing interesting about me.”

I blink back at him, processing what he said. “You’re very interesting.”

“You’re just saying that because we’re fated mates,” he mumbles.

I flop to my back to look at the same popcorn ceiling as he’s got his eyes glued on. “You’ve always been interesting to me and I never knew who you were until now. Every year when we load the sleigh, I always sneak into the gifts to find the one I knew had the crystals in it. I don’t know how I know, instinct I guess. Over the years, I realized Santa was giving you a crystal to help you with something every year. He gave you blue lace agate three years in a row.”

Pisces swallows beneath me. “I was having a lot of anxiety about leaving the foster system. The crystals actually helped calm me. By the time I was dumped out, I was in a better headspace.” Without leaving his spot on the floor, he opens the nightstand and rummages around until he finds the three velvet bags. “I still have them.”

Harold climbs onto my chest as I give the ceiling a grin. “Very interesting.”

“If you say so.”

“Elves recieve Santa gifts, too. I also get a crystal every year. I got a really pretty moss agate this year. I had it in my pocket when Santa turned me into a rose quartz figurine.”

Pisces chuckles softly. “You looked like a dildo.”

“I heard, and, well, saw.” Though I’m still wondering what the bag I stood on was about. “Wanna see my pretty rock?” I maneuver with Harold to sit on the edge of the bed.

Pisces finally looks at me, and he’s got the sweetest smile. “Yeah. I wanna see your rock.”

I slide to the floor and Harold merrrrrs before jumping from my hold. Pisces’s eyes light up when I hand him the moss agate. The polished stone is about half the size of my palm.

“Oh. This is a beaut.” He turns it over and over, no doubt taking in each of the deep green dendritic inclusions inside the milky white. It’s like the tiniest of tree branches frozen in milk, if you ask me.

“You know, I would have thought you’d have more crystals around.” He has a salt lamp on a small table in the corner, but that’s about it.

“I didn’t want Harold to get into them, so I keep them packed away.” Pisces pushes to his feet, leaving the pillow behind. He’s practically hopping to the closet where, with a lot of effort, he pulls out a huge tub with a lid. “These are all my personal stones, along with the ones I leave in the nightstand.” He yanks the lid off.

The box is organized with dozens of smaller boxes and divider trays. I’m impressed with the system.

Another alarm blares from his cellphone on the nightstand, and he races to shut it off. “That’s the second reminder alarm. There’s one more in ten minutes, which means I have to be out the door.” His eyes dart around the room. “Do you have more clothes with you?”

“Not here?” But I suspect my Santa gave me what I need in that bag that’s still at the warehouse.

“Okay. Okay.” He paces. “Get in the shower. I’ll bunny bathe to save time. I don’t have anything that’ll fit you. We’ll have to go shopping after I close the shop for the day. I can’t miss one of my best shopping days.”

“Pisces.”

He sighs and his shoulders drop as if he’s relaxing.

“Take a breath. Everything will be fine. Besides, I think I have clothes at your warehouse. There’s nothing to worry about.” I cup his cheek and he leans into it. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the sizzle of our touch.

“Ohhhh-kaayyy. Breathing. Calming down. Breathing. Go shower.” Before I can say anything else, he’s a bunny again.

His ears stick up like they do in his human form and he reaches up to grab one to lick. I can’t watch too long or he’ll probably scold me as a bunny, but he’s so damn cute it’s hard to resist.

By the time I’m out of the shower, he’s dressed in a pair of nice black dress slacks and a festive Christmas sweater with a decorated wreath on the front.

The third alarm goes off.

Pisces’s eyes go wide. “We gotta go!” He takes my hand and tugs me towards the door.

“What about breakfast?” I ask.

“I don’t normally eat breakfast.” His face turns red as he rushes to the kitchen. “But I can make you…”

“It’s okay. I don’t want to make you late.”

“We’ll pick something up on the way as long as the line isn’t too busy.”

He races back to the door, grabs his keys from the hook, and ushers me out. “Be good Harold. See you later.” Pisces runs down the stairs and I follow him. He’s fast as fuck, so I trail behind.

He’s already next to an old beater of a car. Probably twenty years old at least, but it starts right up and there aren’t any concerning noises.

Pisces is so focused on the road. He’s white knuckling the steering wheel and in the early morning there is hardly anyone on the road.

“Are you okay?” I ask as we pull into the drive of a donut place I’ve never heard of and he turns to me.

“I don’t like driving. The warehouse is close to my apartment, but the shop is further away and the drive gives me anxiety.”

“I can drive.”

He eyes me as if to size me up. “I might take you up on the offer. Wait, do you have a driver’s license?”

I shrug. “I did in the North Pole, but didn’t really need it.”

“What kind of donuts do you like?”

“Any? All?”

He orders an entire dozen of donuts of all kinds and my mouth waters. He’s stressed, and he’s trying to take care of me. I really need to help take care of him.

“Eat up,” he says when he passes me the long box. He flips the lid open on my lap and grabs a glazed cruller. The glaze sticks to his lips and I want to lick them clean.

We eat donuts in silence as he continues the drive to his shop. I’m not nervous though. Pisces has a calming effect on me where I don’t feel like I need to fill the void of quietness. I want to be like that for him.

When we pull into the shopping complex’s parking lot, the box still has half a dozen donuts. “Looks like we have lunch sorted,” I say.

“I hadn’t even thought of lunch. On days like today, I normally don’t have the time.”

There’s no one in the entire parking lot.

“It’s still early. I needed to be here before the crowds, otherwise I get super overwhelmed because I’m opening at the same time people are trying to come in and the day fries my nerves.”

Finally, Pisces parks and we’re in front of a small storefront with a rainbow flag and a banner that reads Pieces of Pisces with a cute little crystal drawing on either side of the script.

“I love it already.”

“It’s my second home.” He tips his head. “Or third, if you include the warehouse.”

I follow him to the door with our box of donuts. There’s a soft chime when we enter and the scent of incense and candles hits me. He turns off the alarm and flips on the lights. There’s a Christmas tree in the far corner and so many fairy lights strung around the entire room.

“Welcome to Pieces of Pisces.” The grin on his face warms my heart.

I turn in circles to take in the entire place. So many shelves of crystals. He’s got tumbles and beads and palm stones and towers. There are wind chimes and tapestries and wall banners. Candles and incense. Tarot and oracle cards. Essential oils. Books and books and books. It’s so welcoming, filled with love.

He fidgets by the register. “So, what do you think?”

“I think this is amazing. And is that—” I point towards the back.

“A classroom and then my small kitchen, where I open new stock and take breaks. Oh, and a bathroom.”

“I can work with this,” I say.

His face scrunches. “What do you mean, work with this?”

“A little North Pole magic.” I wiggle my fingers. “And I studied business a bit. We can get you where you want to be. I’m sure of it. If you want help, that is.” My mind races with all the possibilities.

Pisces casts his eyes to the floor. “You really want to?”

“I’d love to! This is your dream, and I’d love nothing more than to help my fated achieve everything he hopes for.”

He blinks back at me and I swear tears swim in his eyes. “Okay.” He wipes at his face and leads me to the kitchen. It really is small, but has a full sized refrigerator, microwave, and sink. There’s a cute little table and a set of chairs. I leave our donuts on the table and he shuts the door when we exit the room.

Next, we visit the classroom, which can easily fit thirty people. It’s much bigger than I would have thought. There’s a computer and a printer. Pisces plops down at the desk. “I need to make some signage.”

“Oh, let me! I was a calligrapher in Santa’s village. I can make them fancy.”

“What supplies do you need?”

“I can make anything work.” I grab a purple permanent marker from his pen cup on the desk. He hands me some printer paper. “What do you want me to write?”

In under twenty minutes, I have dozens of signs about what’s on sale. I might also be preening at his praise.

“Seriously, this is gorgeous.” He tapes the final sign to the door. The parking lot’s still completely empty and I have to wonder how early we got here.

“Now what?” I ask as I take in everything I missed. There’s so much to look at.

“We wait.” He gives me a cheery smile, but his eyes tell me he’s scared.

“Do you have social media? Have you posted about today’s sales?”

“I forget. Then I get overwhelmed.” Pisces nibbles his bottom lip and hands me his phone. Sure enough, his last posts were early November and before that May.

“My sweet omega. We’ll need to ramp up promo.” I start posting on the social media he has for the shop.

“I don’t want to annoy people.”

“I get that, but you want new people to find you and keep the regulars happy happy.”

He nods again. I realize we got here several hours early to prepare for the day. He fidgets nervously at the front counter while I wander the shop taking pictures and posting them to his accounts.

His phone blares to life with another alarm.

“It’s time!” He rushes to the door and dozens of people pour in. I’d been so consumed in my task that I hadn’t noticed how full the parking lot was getting.

“Pisces!” someone calls out. A petite, pretty omega with brown skin launches themselves at my mate and I chuckle at the sound Pisces makes.

“Yolanda!” Pisces giggles as he hugs the person back. He doesn’t think he has friends, but obviously this is someone he can trust.

They chat animately as people browse the shop. I keep a sharp eye on everyone, just taking them in.

“Who’s the sexy alpha?” Yolanda asks when I venture closer to the pair.

Pisces snorts, leans in, and whispers, “My fated mate.”

I’m preening again when he gives me the sexiest bedroom eyes before turning back to his friend.

Yolanda squeals and jumps up and down. “I’m so happy for you! Oh, Pisces, that’s wonderful. Did you know the second you touched? That’s how it was with Sheila and me.”

He nods shyly. “It was like lightning.”

“Exactly! Then, no matter what I did, I couldn’t resist her. And like a fool I tried.” Yolanda laughs, and it fills my heart with joy to see someone so happy with their fated. Maybe one day that can be me and Pisces.

Pisces leans in again. “I don’t have plans to resist. At least not for long.”

He gives me a knowing smile and waves me over. “Alfie, this is Yolanda. She’s been coming here since the day I opened. Yolanda, this is Alfie, my fated.”

“Lovely to meet you,” she says as I take her tiny hand in mine.

“Likewise. I look forward to meeting more friends of Pisces.”

She nods. “I look forward to seeing more of you.” She squeezes Pisces’s shoulder. “I’ll be browsing, but one day I want your meet cute story, when you’re ready to tell it.”

I start to open my mouth, but she shakes her head. “When both of you are ready to tell it.” She tips her head to Pisces, who is as red as a strawberry. Yolanda twirls away to shop.

The day goes on like this. With people so excited to see Pisces and him not realizing he has dozens of friends, or at least people that want to be his friend. By the time we close up shop, he’s dragging, so exhausted.

“Let me buy you dinner,” I say. “I’m not a skilled cook. I burned way too many cookies during bakery training, and that’s why I was trained in calligraphy.”

“No, I can’t let you buy me dinner.” He throws his head back. “Gah! I can’t believe I let you do all that promo for me without offering to pay you. I can pay you.” His cheeks are so red again. “I will pay you.”

“Don’t worry about it. I enjoyed myself.”

“No. No. You’re getting paid for the day. Then we probably need to negotiate a rate of pay or something, or I don’t know.” His eyes plead with me. “I can’t have you working for free, even if you had fun.”

“I had a load of fun and I’d love to learn how to run the register so you can take a break tomorrow.”

He stares at me as if I’ve grown a second head. “You want to learn the register?”

“I want to help in all ways I can.” I want Pisces to be the happiest omega in the world.

“You wouldn’t mind taking orders from an omega? Because this is my shop.”

“Not one bit. You’re amazing, Pisces. I’d never dream of trying to take over.”

He lets out a soft breath. “Okay. We can work together.”