Page 29 of Tempered By Flames

Liam did so, leaving his shoes by the door and following Ethan to the kitchen. They were silent, and it was a bit awkward, but Ethan told himself to focus on putting the flowers in a vase. Unfortunately for him, that didn’t take him nearly long enough, and after a few minutes, he found himself unsure what to say.

He and Liam stared at each other, the tension between them rising, until Liam finally chuckled and relaxed as he shook his head. “This is ridiculous.”

“We’re ridiculous,” Ethan agreed. “I guess it makes sense since this is our first official date, but it’s not like we don’t know each other.”

“Exactly. I don’t need you to impress me.”

Ethan grinned. “And you’ve already impressed me, so there’s that.”

“I have?”

“You’ve been impressing me since I told you that I’m a chimera shifter and you reacted like it was the most exciting thing in the world instead of something to be afraid of.”

Liam took a step closer and reached out to take Ethan’s hand. He raised it to his lips, pressing a soft kiss against the back of it. It sent a shiver down Ethan’s spine, even though he was pretty sure that Liam hadn’t intended to be sexual in any way, shape, or form. He wasn’t even sure that was what he was feeling. He wanted Liam, but the softness and kindness in the gesture also touched him.

“You mentioned your mother,” Liam said gently.

Their first date probably wasn’t the best moment to talk about her, but if Liam needed to know, that was fine with Ethan. Liam would find out eventually. Maybe it was better to get her out of the way now.

“She didn’t know my father was a shifter, let alone a chimera shifter,” he explained. “He passed away when I was a baby. I like to think that he would’ve told her what he was eventually, but he never got the opportunity. When I shifted for the first time, she freaked out and called my grandmother.”

Liam was still holding Ethan’s hand. He squeezed it, silently telling Ethan that he was there with him. It helped more than Ethan had expected. All of that was in the past, and he’d made his peace with it, but he suspected it was always going to hurt having his own mother reject him.

“Your artistic grandmother,” Liam said.

“Yeah. She was a tattoo artist, something my mother didn’t like. I think she felt it was too out there for an older woman. My grandmother answered right away when my mother called, though. She explained to her what she and my father were, and what I was, too. My mom freaked out. My grandmother had to set down boundaries, and she had to make sure that my mother understood that nothing she could do would change what I was. I stayed with my mother until I was about twelve. That’s when she lost her patience. It’s when I started shifting regularly, and you know how things are at that age. It’s not always easy to control it when your hormones are starting to get out of whack. The day she found me in chimera form sleeping on my bed when I was supposed to be getting ready for school was the day she snapped. She sent me to live with my grandmother. It was the best thing that could have happened to me.”

“But it doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt,” Liam said. “I understand a bit better why you were so afraid to tell me what you were. That wound is deep, but I can promise you that I’m nothing like your mother.”

Ethan snorted. “I sure hope not.”

Liam squeezed Ethan’s hand. “I’m not joking, Ethan. I won’t reject you because of what you are. I know, and I don’t care.”

“I appreciate you saying that, but I already knew it. You don’t have to worry. You’ve already shown me that you’re nothing like my mother. I wouldn’t be here otherwise.” And Ethan wouldn’t be thinking about the future with Liam. He was, though. How could he not when Liam was pretty much the most perfect man Ethan could have found for himself? He couldn’t be more perfect if Ethan had designed him himself.

Maybe he had, and he’d manifested Liam into his life. Whatever had happened, it didn’t matter because the result wouldn’t change. Liam was here to stay.

Ethan would make sure of that.

* * * *

LIAM WASN’T SURE WHAT he’d expected from the evening. Maybe some awkwardness at first, and they’d had a moment of that in the kitchen with the sunflowers between them and neither of them knowing what to say. But Ethan had poured them both a glass of wine, and somewhere between the first sip and the salmon being ready, the awkwardness had vanished. By the time they sat down to eat, their date felt more natural, almost like they’d been dating for years.

Ethan was a good cook. When Liam told Ethan, Ethan looked almost embarrassed about it, which Liam found endearing. He didn’t seem like someone who got embarrassed easily, yet there he was, cheeks pink and waving a fork and telling Liam it was nothing special. It was, though. The whole evening was because Ethan had obviously put a lot of thought into it.

They talked through dinner, cleared the table, and continued talking as they finished the wine. Ethan told Liam more about his grandmother and her shop, about the first tattoo she’d ever let him do on a real person, which apparently had come out slightly lopsided. Liam told Ethan about his family and the chaos of growing up in a clan house with too many people and not enough space. He made Ethan laugh, and it felt like he’d won something every time.

They eventually moved to the couch, and Liam’s heart moved faster. Ethan sat close enough that their thighs touched, and neither of them moved away. They both seemed to want the same thing. Liam hoped they did.

“You’re staring,” Ethan said without looking at Liam.

“I know,” Liam said. He didn’t apologize for it. He wasn’t going to stop, either.

Ethan finally turned, but whatever he’d been about to say didn’t make it out. Liam closed the distance between them slowly enough that Ethan could’ve stopped him if he’d wanted to.

He didn’t seem to want to. That much was obvious in the way he leaned in, and when their mouths met, it was softer than the kiss they’d shared outside the station. It was more deliberate, and instead of relief, it felt like a beginning.

Liam brought his hand up to Ethan’s cheek, tilting his face slightly, and felt Ethan breathe against his lips. Liam pulled Ethan closer without really thinking about it, and Ethan came easily, moving on the cushion until he was half-turned toward Liam, one hand curled into the front of Liam’s shirt.