Cielo blinks at me, and his ears flutter.
I grin at him, and his right fang pokes out slightly. “You’re cute, you know that?” I use my voice again and sign at the same time.
His skin turns a dark blue, and he glances away from me before peering over at me, mostly indiscreetly.
“You know what? Do you want to go to the library? Grab some more videos? So you have something to watch when I’m at work?”
His eyes widen, and he nods.
“Okay, the library closes at eight tonight, but we can head over when I close up shop.”
‘Library,’ he signs back to me, and I nod.
“They have books. And DVDs.”
He cocks his head, and I let out a laugh. Fuck, this monster makes me weirdly giddy. I shouldn’t let myself feel this, but I can’t help it. It feels oddly innate.
“Yeah, like…” I point to the DVD player sitting under my TV and then describe it as best I can. “DVDs are the little discs you put in there. They have recordings just like the one you were watching. And there are books that go along with them to help you learn.”
He nods when he understands and then signs back, ‘DVD.’
“Yes, they have many. You will like. Oh…and there is a coffee shop next door. They have espresso there. It’s delicious.”
He perks up even more, and I wish I didn’t have to go back to work. I wish I could close down earlier. I should look into hiring someone else, but there’s no way I have the budget for that yet. Or probably ever.
It’s a pipe dream that one day I’ll have enough money to be able to afford a few part-time employees. But if this pain doesn’t go away and keeps getting worse, I might not have a choice. I don’t want to lose my business, but I know I can’t keep pushing myself. Eventually, I’ll go past the point of no return, and god only knows what’ll happen then.
“I have to go back to work,” I eventually say, my hands in my lap this time.
Cielo makes a mournful trill, haunting and melodic, in the back of his throat. But after a beat, he nods.
“I don’t want to leave,” I tell him. None of those words are a lie, and for whatever reason, it feels important he knows that. “But I’ll be back soon, okay? If I don’t get any other customers, I’ll close early.”
He put his fingers to his chin and tips them down. ‘Thank you.’
I don’t know why he’s thanking me. This is just basic decency, but looking at his scars, I have to acknowledge he probably hasn’t known a lot of that. Not after what he went through. Not after what Everest told me about the way he and the other Vyastil employed at the Foundry were living.
“It’s just across the street if you need me,” I tell him as I stand.
He meets my gaze, then gives me a single nod before his attention goes back to the TV.
As I slip out of the apartment, making my way back to the shop, I find myself wishing the hours away so I can spend more time with the sweet monster in my apartment. It’s been the place I’ve lived for a long time, but right now, with Cielo in there, it’s starting to feel like a home.
six
DANTE
‘This library?’ Cielo asks as he ducks through the automatic door and steps into the warm space. He’s dressed up for the occasion, his pink coat stretched across his shoulders, a matching scarf of mine around his waist, and I can’t help but feel a little pride that he’s wearing something of mine. His chest is bare, showing off his healed scars, and my eyes watered when I first saw them.
“You look so pretty,” I couldn’t help but tell him when he showed himself off before we left.
His ears had fluttered, and his skin shimmered at the compliment.
And now we’re here, his fingers grazing mine as his eyes take it all in. He glances from corner to corner, his fingers trailing over the paneling on the wall as if to memorize it.
I stand close to him, linking my arm with his, wanting to feel his first experience in one of my favorite places. For me, the library started it all. Those worn historical romances with busty women and shirtless men.
Completely shameless.
