Page 86 of The Spellreader and the Phoenix

“Of course not,” Rory confirmed. “Red and Rory are both me, remember.”

“I know,” Max said. “It just… it doesn’t seem like we’re going backward?”

Rory raised an eyebrow. “You let me live with you the day we met. I don’t think we’re doing anything the standard way.”

Max huffed a laugh, his body relaxing. “Well, that’s true.”

“The important thing is that we’re comfortable. We’re still figuring out what we like and how we work together, and that’s going to continue to adjust as time goes by. You’re still an introvert who needs alone time to recharge and process things. A lot’s been going on, and it makes perfect sense that you’d like some time.”

“I don’t want you to think…” Max started, but he didn’t seem to know how to finish that sentence.

“I like that you like me as a cardinal,” Rory assured him. “I’m incredibly grateful that you took me in and have let me stay here. I want to make space for you whenever you need it, and I enjoy being a bird. I’m very happy to be Red whenever you need it. Or when I need it. I’m not ever going to stop being a bird.”

Max was smiling now. “Yes, I understand that. And I’m very fond of you as a bird.”

Rory really hoped he was going to stay fond once he knew everything.

“And sleeping as a bird is very cozy,” Rory assured him. “You can ponder as long as you need to ponder.”

“Okay. Thank you,” Max said, still sounding a little sheepish but mostly just relieved.

Rory shifted, the blankets falling down as they were no longer on top of his human legs. He fluttered up so that he could perch on Max’s shoulder and rub against his neck, and Max laughed and cuddled into him, gently stroking his feathers just the way Rory liked.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, and then Rory fluttered over to his little basket on the bedside table and curled up. (The box had disappeared one day weeks ago, and a nice wicker basket and soft little blanket had appeared.) It really was very comfy to sleep as a bird. Humans were weirdly designed.

There was the sound of shifting covers as Max arranged himself lying down in bed, and then it went silent for a moment.

“Goodnight, Red.”

Rory chirped his own goodnight and went to sleep.

The bookshop opened at ten every day except Sundays and Mondays, so he and Max had their routine pretty much down, but it wasn’t quite as leisurely as the two days that opened at eleven. Plus, now they got to have kisses, too, which never failed to fill Rory with delight.

Max seemed relieved Rory really didn’t mind being Red overnight, and Rory was equally happy that Max was still comfortable with their new level of intimacy. He would have gone back to no kisses without complaint if Max preferred, but a comfortable Max who liked to kiss him was the best.

The day passed quickly, and before Rory knew it, they were dressing up for D&D. Alex had gone home after their shift to get their costume. They would meet back here at eight with everyone else.

Rory had scoured the thrift store, hardware store, and craft store, got a lot of advice and assistance from Alex, and made a small number of strategic online purchases. It was hugely entertaining to see the fruits of his labor as Max emerged from the bedroom in a floor-length robe with giant stars and moons on it. It was one of those fabrics that shifted between two colors depending on the angle, sometimes sort of teal and sometimes red. Rory beamed.

Max looked very grumpy wearing his pointy wizard hat and holding a wand that Rory had glued a big star on the end of. (Hot glue, he’d discovered from Alex, could do amazing things.)

Rory had made sure to find some costume jewelry that could go round his neck, big and gaudy looking—and of course, since Max was a half-elf in the game, he had pointy ear caps to wear.

Rory grinned hugely when he saw Max. “You look fantastic!”

Max gave him a long-suffering look. “I look like the five-year-old vision of what a wizard is.”

“Like I said, you look fantastic!”

Max rolled his eyes, but Rory could see his mouth trying to twitch with amusement.

“Meanwhile,” Max said, “you get to wear that.”

Rory was wearing a robe, too, but it was homespun-looking and in plain brown. He’d found a long piece of rope and tied it around his waist. He shrugged.

“I’m a human druid,” he pointed out. “You’re the one who created my character. We’re into simplicity and communing with nature. I mean, I’d be happy to wild shape into Red, but I don’t think that would go over well with this crowd.”

Max laughed outright. “It would be a fantastic effect, but not so great for the World Spell. Yeah, alright, let’s get this over with. And next time, you’re going to be the most outlandish character I can think of!”