He leans in slightly, his shoulder pressing into mine. “And now?”
I take him in, the kindness in his eyes, the heat radiating from his touch. “Now,” I say quietly, “it feels like sticking around was the right choice.”
• • •
Levi snooping isinevitable.
I knew the moment he set foot in my apartment that his curiosity would get the better of him. It starts innocently enough. We’re still sprawled on the couch, the last sips of our drinks forgotten on the coffee table, when he glances toward my bookshelf.
“Are those…first editions?” he asks casually, like he’s not already plotting his next move.
I hum noncommittally. “Some of them.”
That’s all the permission he needs.
He’s off the couch in seconds, crossing the room with the enthusiasm of someone who treats décor items like an invitation. I watch from my spot, amused as he trails his fingers over the spines, head tilted with exaggerated focus. He lingers on a thick, leather-bound volume, the gold lettering faded with time.
“Is this Latin?” he asks, squinting.
“Old Latin,” I correct. “Pre-classical. That scroll was part of the Eleusinian Mysteries,” I add before I can stop myself. “People would leave it at my temples when they wanted to bring someone back.”
Levi whips his head around. “Only you.”
“I’m sorry, would you prefer I had a stack of self-help books instead?”
He ignores me, his attention back to the shelves, and then he spots it, a small, oddly shaped object tucked safely between two books. It’s a bronze coin, larger than most, with intricate etchings worn smooth by time.
“What’s this?” he asks, reaching for it before I can respond.
My heart skips. A reflex more than alarm. “I wouldn’t…”
But it’s already in his hand. He holds it up to the light, inspecting it with the kind of interest I’m sure is usually reserved for his beloved floral arrangements.
“Rumored to be cursed,” I say casually, leaning back into the couch.
Levi freezes, coin suspended midair. “Rumored?”
“Rumors keep thieves honest,” I add, refilling my glass. “Plague, famine, the occasional combustion. The usual.”
His eyes narrow. “You’re messing with me.”
“Am I?” I arch a brow, the corner of my mouth twitching.
He huffs, setting the coin back exactly. Like even if Iamjoking, he’s not willing to risk it.
“Annoying,” he mutters under his breath, but there’s a smile tugging at the edges of his mouth. His exploration continues, fingers trailing over more relics. A bone-hilted dagger, a faded amphora, a cracked compass that never points north.
His hand pauses on a helm tucked half hidden between two heavy tomes. Bronze dulled over the years with wings etched faintly at the temples.
Levi lifts it carefully, holding it up like he’s unearthed treasure. “Is this…wait. This isyourthing, isn’t it?” His grin is wide and delighted. “Hayden, you have the Helm of Ha…ofyou…just hanging out on a bookshelf?”
I shrug.
Lines dance around his eyes when he smiles, turning over the gaudy reminder of my past. “Go on, then. Try it on.”
I snort. “Absolutely not.”
Levi laughs, setting it perfectly back in its place with mock reverence. “Fine. But I’m not forgetting this. One day, Funeral Guy, I’m getting a demo.”
