The Bond

Miles of Comfort

"What?" I signed back to him, feeling equally stupid and shy.

"I said: Welcome to Sal's do you know what you'd like to drink?"  He laughed good naturedly as he re-signed what he said to me.  I noticed his eyes crinkled slightly with his smile and I was surprised to note he was a bit older than I first originally thought.  Whereas his mate looked around my age, he seemed more likely to be in his mid-twenties or so.

"Do you have orange soda?"  I asked, his name tag combined with a red and white striped apron naming "Miles" an unexpected waiter at Sal's Diner.

"We do indeed." He grinned, my eyes drawn to his well shaped mouth as I read his lips.  His masculine hands deftly writing down my request on a pad of paper.  "It comes in a glass bottle, do you want a glass of ice with it?"

"Just the bottle is fine." I answered with my hands, too shy to draw his attention to my lips.  I couldn't believe how shy this man was making me feel.  His presence felt comforting and familiar, but that face made it hard for me to relax around him.  There was just something about his looks that made me edgy and uncomfortable.  Must be the effect of ridiculously handsome men.  He was probably use to it.  I was sure he got a lot of hopeful calls from unmated girls.

"Good choice, I like it out of the bottle too."  He nodded sagely as he approved of my preference.  He tapped his pen soundlessly on the paper pad and continued with,  "I'll be right back with your drink."  He gave me a parting grin before he went behind the bar and into the kitchen.

I marveled at his change in attitude while browsing the menu.  Last night he had looked the troubled youth and today after his mate had left angrily he appeared so frustrated and weary.  I wondered if I managed to hide my troubles as aptly as he was able to.

From behind the bar he sat my soda down with a smile,  "I highly recommend Sal's club sandwich."

"My mom will expect an appetite at dinner."  I smiled ruefully as I gently rejected the advice.

"Hmm, teenage problems."  He brought his finger up to touch his chin in mock thought.  "Something light maybe? We've got really good baked broccoli bites in the appetizer section that come with an incredible homemade cheese sauce.  And it's a vegetable so your Mom would be proud.  Lot's of calcium!"  His finger came close to tap the broccoli bites on the menu and my throat closed up.  I met his eyes and wordlessly nodded.  He picked up my menu with a grin and went about his duties.  He had been wearing a mate's ring.

What was it about this man that made me feel so strange?  I watched him turn at the call of the hostess and laugh soundlessly in response to what she had said.  His smile was infectious and lit his whole face in attractive amusement causing my heart to almost skip a beat but not quite.  Self-consciously I looked down at the salt shaker that had found its way into my fiddling grasp and wondered what was up with me.  I hardly ever found people attractive and never felt this instant connection to them.  It wasn't the bond, that much I knew.  He obviously could hear sounds and his laugher was nothing but empty air to my ears.

Growing up with Liam and my little brother I had always felt comfortable around guys, but this guy unsettled me for reasons I didn't want to look too closely at.  I wanted to really like him because he came off very easy going and nice, but when I looked at his handsome face I just felt...odd.

My phone vibrated in my pocket and I quickly pulled it out.  Miles came out from the kitchen that he had darted into and started wiping down the counter with a rag he pulled from somewhere under it.  I unlocked my phone and felt my stress level rise when I saw it was a text from Liam saying that he wanted to talk.

Groaning to myself I flipped my phone face down without answering Liam's message.  Miles put his hands on the counter in front of me causing me to look up at him.

"I'm going to have to add a piece of Sal's signature buttermilk pie to your tab if you keep looking so miserable."  His face was amused while he lightly teased me.

Despite myself I felt my face reflect his smile and for the first time with him I relaxed a touch.

"Just so we're clear, if I don't order it, it's free."  He laughed at my quip and put on an exaggerated grimace.

"Come on, I've got a bills to pay here. My uncle will take it out of my paycheck if I start giving food out for free."  I laughed along with him and his smile gradually turned soft as the mirth left his face.

"That's a nice sound, you know?  You've been looking a bit down.  Whatever it is just roll with the punches and enjoy life, okay?"  Usually I would feel resentment for someone unaware of my situation handing out flippant advice, but he had a genuinely kind air about him that I felt connected to.

"I'll do my best."  I nodded with a warm smile of my own feeling surprisingly optimistic.

"You know I don't really know why but I've kinda taken a shine to you kid, what's your name?"  I knew he called me kid to reinforce his interest was strictly platonic, but I felt a flutter warm me anyway.

"Ava."  I supplied with a smile, feelingly oddly flattered.  I used my actual voice knowing he was mated and could hear me.

"That's a unique name, what's it mean?"  He looked at me quizzically and I felt a blush heat my cheeks again.

"It means like a bird."  I was mildly embarrassed because I was named in reference to how birds could distinguish their mate's call from hundreds of other birds singing out.  My mother was a romantic and my name had become a sort of societal albatross to me privately.  I felt pressured that I wouldn't be able to live up to society's expectation of normalcy.

"I like that."  He said soundlessly, his blue eyes bright as he looked down at me.  "Birds are free and limitless. It's a really nice symbol to be named after."  And so simply I felt a weight lift from me and a new perspective settle in.

I had never thought of my name that way and suddenly it seemed completely new to me.  I spent the rest of my time chatting sporadically with Miles while he did his job and I finished off the surprisingly good broccoli bites and cheese.  It all felt strangely natural. 

Walking home later I found that the diner and it's light-hearted waiter had become a sense of comfort to me.  I hoped to return soon and whether Miles was there or not, just soak up the balm of the atmosphere.  It wasn't like all the places I frequented with my friends.  It was my place.  Now that I felt stabilized I needed to focus on clearing things up with Liam.  It wasn't fair to string this out for him when I was the one who made the mistake.