Almost

Chapter 20: Apology Coffee

"Waine, look at me."

The hand came to her face, a familiar weight and pressure that she sank instinctively into. Her eyes opened and she saw Ezra's face staring down at her.

Of course, she thought, he can't see it.

"I was in the shower and Nestor came flying in and practically pecked my eye out until I got out." Crawley was talking as fast as Katherine's heart was beating. "What are you doing out here?"

She looked up at him, her breaths coming heavy and fast. But words wouldn't follow. She was too relieved to have fresh air in her lungs and no more pops ringing in her ears.

"We have to get inside," Ezra said, taking her arm and guiding her toward the cabin. The shudder of them walking into the wards racked through her, making her lose her balance. He caught her before she hit the ground, but Nestor wouldn't have let her anyways—his talons latched onto the fabric of her blouse. Together, they got her into the house and onto the couch. Corliss frantically hooted and quickly came to her side, pulling a blanket over her heaving shoulders while Ezra summoned a glass from the kitchen.

"Aguamenti," she heard him say, the splashing of water following. He sat at her side without crowding her, leaving enough space for Smithwick to jump to her side, nuzzling himself under her shaking hand.

"Drink."

She took the water from Crawley, looking at the fire. She began counting the bricks, the darkest red first.

"What were you doing home early?" she said before he could ask any questions.

He shook his head and crinkled his eyes. "Waine, what—"

"Why are you home early?" she said, her voice quiet and even. "I came home because I felt you come through the wards. Why were you in the shower and not at work?"

There was a long pause.

"Drink your water," he told her as he pointed to the water glass. "I came home because I got into it with Hollinghunt."

Katherine's head was suddenly very clear. "Why?"

"They called me in this morning to talk about this Illvermorny case. I'm the youngest one on the team, and they think it'll make other students more likely to talk. I thought it was weird that they didn't mention anything about Iz."

"But she just got her memories back. Don't they need all hands—"

"They acted like it had never happened," he muttered. "And I didn't think it wise to let on I know more than I'm supposed to. So, I just asked if we'd made any headway. Hollinghunt got very quiet and started... Well, she started talking about you. Quahog tried to cut her off, but it was too late."

"What did she say?" Katherine asked quietly. "That I'm dangerous? Cause I saw that in her file about me already."

Crawley shook his head. "She thinks you're only marrying me to worm your way in to the case."

"That's ridiculous."

"Which is what I told her," he assured her. "But she started listing all of these reasons and—"

Katherine cut him off. "You and I were together before there really was a case. I mean, not engaged, but together. And, if I had meant all along to get you to love me, I don't think I would have led with snark and—"

"It worked, though. Didn't it?"

His response was quiet but sucked the end of her thought from her mind and took up all of the space between them. She saw his mannerisms completely differently, seeing the space and the hardness in his jaw not as concern for her, but about her.