He rolled with her, slipping out of her body but holding her against his side.She yawned, throwing her leg over his thigh.
The bedroom was dim, the morning sun not yet reaching the window.The sheets were tangled around their legs, and the air still held the quiet hum of their breathing as it slowed after the closeness they'd shared.Kallie curled against Finn's side, her cheek resting on his shoulder, her fingers tracing lazy patterns across his chest.He lay on his back, hands clasped behind his head, looking more relaxed than she'd ever seen him.
She loved this version of him.Watching him find his footing and learn about the world around him brought him peace.
"What are you thinking about?"she murmured, her voice drowsy.
Finn shifted slightly."I'm going to look for a job this week."
Kallie pushed up onto one elbow, staring at him."A job?"
He nodded, calm as ever."Yeah."
Her stomach tightened.They were still in their new-relationship glow, wrapped up in each other, building routines, and learning to exist in the same space while shedding the shadows of Everstill.The thought of him going out into the world while she worked filled her with anxiety.
"What if..."She swallowed."What if you unknowingly walk back through the rift?What if something happens and we're separated?Finn, you don't know this world—"
"I lived here, Kallie.For more years than you've been alive," he murmured.
"No, I get that.But you've just learned how to navigate the internet and use a cell phone."
He turned his head toward her, his expression gentle."It's for the best, Kallie.I need to support you."
"But I have my job to support—"
"Doesn't matter.A man needs to work.I can't wander around all day like I did in Everstill."He inhaled deeply."Besides, we need to get out of this apartment eventually."
She blinked."What?"
"You want a house."He put his arm around her back and rubbed the top of her ass."You've talked about it."
Her cheeks warmed."I was only dreaming.I never expected it to come true."
"It can," he said softly."We can make it happen."
She shook her head.He was going to push her into a full-blown panic attack."Finn...how can you get a job when you don't have any identification?And if you do go get ID, you'll have to explain why you look forty instead of seventy-four.And in this world, your name is a felon.It's not easy to find work even without a criminal background."
He brushed a strand of hair from her face."I'll find somewhere that pays under the table.Don't worry."
Of course, she was going to worry.She worried about him constantly, not only about him but also about the rift, about Everstill, and about the routines they fell into and the rules that had followed him out of that place.She worried because she loved him, because she couldn't lose him, because the thought of him disappearing into the world without her made her chest ache.
She lowered herself back down beside him, resting her head on his shoulder again.His hand slid into her hair, soothing her even as her mind raced.
After a long moment, Finn spoke again, his voice quieter this time."There's one more thing."
Kallie lifted her head."What is it?"
He hesitated, then said, "Do you mind if I borrow your last name?"
"What do you mean?My last name?"
"I don't want anyone looking me up on the internet.I want to bury my past."
Her chest tightened.He wasn't asking to hide.He was asking for a way to start over.A way to become someone new.Someone free.
She leaned in and kissed him softly."You can have my last name.It never meant much to me.Maybe it'll mean more to share it with you."
His gaze warmed.
