Page 18 of Something Handsome This Way Comes

“Technically, you ‘brew’ coffee. So it’s not cooking,” he said, taking a sip, smiling contentedly. “She also said, ‘Life is too short to drink bad coffee.’”

“I think you just made that up.”

Milo shrugged. “I guess we’ll never know.” Grievance shook his head as Milo added another heavy spoonful of brown sugar.

“You completely defeat the purpose of your coffee when you do that.”

“If the purpose is to make me happy in the morning, I disagree.”

“I thought waking up next to me is what made you happy in the morning,” Grievance teased.

“It does. And I remember that, after my coffee.”

“You’re insufferable.”

“And you love it,” Milo replied, standing on tiptoe to give him a quick kiss on the cheek and returning to his morning potions.

Their mornings had settled into something Grievance had once believed impossible.

Routine.

The certainty that tomorrow would look much like today. He had spent most of his life waking prepared to run. Prepared to fight. Prepared to survive. The lives of MythBeasts were often brutal, with no mercy shown for those wanting to sleep in.

Now… He woke wondering whether Milo would wear the pink sweater or the cream one.

It was a much better life.

Coffee finished, Milo carried his mug into the apothecary storefront, where trays of ingredients already waited. As always, Grievance followed, just to watch his little witch work his craft.

Today’s work wasn’t complicated. In addition to the usual delivery of ‘horny chicken potion’ (a feed supplement Milo invented to increase the egg production of hens), Old Mister Wetherby also requested a remedy for his prize roosters, who had picked up feather rot after getting into cursed nettles. The remedy only required moonmint oil, vanilla moss, and a stabilizing tonic.

Mr. Wetherby had been one of Milo’s regular customers for years, buying his nutrient powder and paying him in more eggs than Milo and Grievance could ever hope to eat.

Milo hummed quietly as he measured powders into glass bottles. Grievance lasted almost twenty seconds before crossing the room. He slipped both arms around Milo’s waist from behind. His mate fit so perfectly against him.

Milo sighed, pausing the grind on his mortar and pestle. “You’re distracting me.”

“Mmm.” Grievance buried his face against the side of Milo’s neck. “Just let me hold you.”

“You held me all last night.”

“No.” Grievance tightened his arms. “You rolled away.”

“You snore.”

“I only snore when I fall asleep after I’ve been very satisfied.” He punctuated the sentence by gently nipping Milo’s ear. “And you, my mate, managed to satiate me thoroughly last night.”

Exactly as intended, Milo’s entire face turned the most wonderful shade of pink to match his sweater.

“I—I am trying to make medicine.”

“You’re making horny chicken powder.”

“It’s important, horny chicken powder! Those eggs save us a ton on groceries.”

Pip clicked his mandibles happily from atop the shelf, the way he always did after a meal.

“Monster fusses over Nestmaker. Nestmaker pretend not to like fussing. Same conversation every morning. Pip bored.”