Dante and I are not boyfriends, but I do like the idea of him being mine.
I glance at him and open my mouth, trying to explain. “He’s not mieeen.” Even if it feels like he is. “Not lyyyk that. He’s….” I struggle with the word.
“Ah, shit, I figured you were like…partners or whatever. So just friends with benefits then?”
I open my mouth to say something else, but then Dante answers for me.
“We’re more than friends with benefits.”
I turn around, my ears fluttering in excitement. Dante is here, and I cannot contain my excitement. His eyes move from Zane to the pussyum, and his eyes widen.
“Cielo, oh my god. Babe, why do you have an possum in my apartment?”
My ears fold downward, and I feel his shock and displeasure through the bond we share. I do not like that.
“No, no, don’t do the ear thing,” he groans. “I’m not mad, just…it’s a wild animal. And this is not what I was expecting to find on my break.”
“That’s what I said,” Zane murmurs as he picks up the cage and sets it against the wall. He built it quickly. If he lived in Erethar, he would be quite valued. He is good with his hands.
“Sorry, why are you here again?” Dante asks, his tone slightly rude.
“He heeeelped me.”
Dante’s annoyed gaze softens. “Oh, well, in that case, thank you. Sorry, I get overprotective of Cielo sometimes.”
That makes my hearts flutter. I like that he is possessive of me.
Zane gives him the same sort of nod I have seen Brody and Tyler give each other in greeting. “Yeah, you’re good.”
Dante smiles and then looks at the pussyum once more. “Are we really going to keep this?”
I stare up at him and send something through the bond, something like yearning.
He sighs. “Alright, I’m assuming you did some research?”
I nod, and Zane huffs a laugh. “Yeah, let me tell you all about it.”
Dante peers at Zane and then tilts his head toward the door. “How about you fill me in over a glass of wine?”
“Got any beer?”
“Sure do. Menabrea?” he says, then adds, “Italian beer. That cool?”
“Never had it, but yeah. Sounds good.”
He follows Dante into the other room, and I pull myself up, holding onto my pet gently as I follow them out.
twenty-one
DANTE
My desire to not have—what are they, rodents, marsupials? I have no fucking clue what possums are classified as, but my desire not to have one in my home is warring with my need to make Cielo happy. And he looks like if I take away his little creature, he might cry.
And if he cries, I will literally die. I will perish on the spot.
So, I watch carefully as he cradles the little animal against his chest and try not to think it may be the cutest thing I have ever seen in my life.
I don’t know Zane well. I know he’s Everest’s friend. I know he’s a fucking bigot against monsters, which makes his being here with Cielo far too weird. I know that Everest thinks his best friend has a good heart and he’s worth trying to help change, and so does Quilliyn.
