Albert stared at her, rain dripping from his hair, unsure whether he’d just met the strangest hallucination of his life or an actual… whatever this was.

“You’re about a foot tall and dressed like you’re part of a bike gang,” he said flatly. “I’ve lost my fucking mind.”

Poppy grinned, hovering closer until she was level with his face. “Pixie,” she said brightly, as if correcting someone on their coffee order. “And you’re fine. Well… mostly fine. Bit singed.”

Albert glanced at his hands—tiny scorch marks in the leather of his gloves. “You’re telling me I’ve just been struck by lightning and acquired a sarcastic lawn ornament?”

Her wings flicked in mild offence. “One: not a lawn ornament. Two: you weren’t struck alone.” She tapped her own chest with a small, leather-gloved finger. “We were both hit. Which means—”

“You owe me half the hospital bill?”

“No.” She drew out the word as though speaking to a slightly dim child. “It means we’re bound. You can see me, I can’t leave you, and—”

“Wait.” Albert’s eyes narrowed. “Can’t leave me? Like, ever?”

“Eternity, darling,” she said cheerfully, spinning mid-air. “Pixie Playbook, Rule One: When a pixie becomes visible to a human, they are bound to that human for life.”

Albert groaned. “I didn’t pack for life.”

The storm still howled around them, wind tugging at Poppy’s hair. She barely seemed to notice. “You know,” she continued, “most people would be honoured. Pixies don’t just hang about with any old human. We’re picky.”

“I’m picky,” Albert shot back. “And I’m not in the habit of forming lifelong commitments with winged strangers in the middle of a fucking thunderstorm.”

Poppy tilted her head, studying him. “You’re grumpy. I like that. It’s usually a sign of depth. Or constipation.”

He let out a short laugh despite himself. “You’re weird.”

“Thank you,” she said, beaming.

Lightning flashed again, this time further off. Albert took a step toward the narrow path back down the mountain. “Right. I'm getting the fuck out of here.”

Poppy zipped ahead of him, wings a blur. “Lead the way, partner. We’ve got a lifetime to get acquainted.”

Albert muttered something under his breath that the rain thankfully drowned out, but a faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He wasn’t sure if it was the adrenaline, the absurdity of the situation, or the fact that—for the first time in years—he felt like something genuinely unexpected had just happened to him.