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"A lot," he admitted. "But it's the stupid shit."
"The meaningful shit," I corrected. "The tea in the morning. The ear when someone needs to talk about it - whateveritis. The friend, the comfort, and the safe place to run where they know they won't get judged."
"Protecting someone isn't just about their body," Talin said. "Bodies heal. Minds and hearts are harder to keep safe."
"And you neverleftus," Ela reminded him. "You were ripped away from us, which is different." He tipped his head at the bedroom door again, the sounds of sex barely audible. "He's finally fucking her. Do you have any idea how long I've waited for that?"
"Because you want your turn?" I joked.
The look Ela gave me proved just how wrong I was. "No. Because Nari has no idea how amazing she is. Having a god chase her helps, but she still doesn't get it. And I keep wondering what happens if Zeal goes too far. He said it's dangerous, right? That he could break her. So, what happens if she screams for help?" He looked at each of us, clearly waiting for an answer.
Talin and I, however, just looked at Anver. His brow creased and he glanced at all of us, then shook his head. "We help." He stated it like that was obvious.
"Against Zeal?" Talin asked. "He's a god."
"Our god," I reminded him. "He could strip our lace and kick all of us out."
"So?" Anver said. "That's..." He just grunted and then chuckled. "Yeah, I see what you're saying. It's Nari."
"And you'd fight your best friend," Ela went on, "agod, to keep her safe. We all know we'd die if we tried. We also don't care. That's why we have these marks. Now, I don't think Zeal's anything to worry about, but my point is that you keep coming over, sitting here like you're not quite a part of us, but you are."
"I'm the safe best friend," Anver said, trying to sound like he was agreeing, but he couldn't quite pull it off.
So Ela pushed out of his chair, crossed the room in three steps, and grabbed the side of Anver's face. "Right."
Then Eladehl kissed the guy with all the power he had mastered in the last year. He took, forcing his tongue between Anver's lips, and Anver pushed back. There, while Talin and I watched, those two kissed the way they had as kids, but with none of the fumbling.
"So he goes both ways?" Talin asked, glancing over at me.
"Mhm," I agreed. "He kissed Ela first, then Nari. They're both really proud of that, too."
"I wasn't sure," Talin said. "I knew he'd kissed Ela, but always got the impression he wasn't quite into it. Probably since his ward is also a woman."
I shrugged. "He liked the contact and affection, not the fucking, and not just women. He gets off on watching, though. I mean, I get it. Ela and Nari together is fucking hot, and they both like an audience."
The laugh made it clear that we'd ruined the moment, but it didn't come from Ela. That was Anver who'd broken the kiss, yet he didn't quite pull away. Instead, he caressed the side of Ela's face and then kissed him again, softly this time, before leaning back. Ela just moved to sit beside him, leaning in to make it clear that wasn't a one-time thing.
"Yes," Anver said, "I find both men and women appealing. I just don't judge on how they look but how they, um..."
"Treat you," Ela offered.
"Some," Anver agreed. "I'm attracted to people because they're interesting, not beautiful. I'm also not turned on by bodies."
"At all?" I asked. "I mean, is there anything about a person - physical or not - that gets you going?"
Anver shook his head. "Still a virgin, still happy with that. The thought of playing like that... It's..."
"Like me thinking about fucking a guy," I offered. "Not my thing. Could I get off? Probably. Do I want to? Not really."
"So weird," Ela said. "Guys are hot."
"I'm with him," Talin agreed. "Women are sexy and men are hot. What gets you going, Anver? Like, why are you so into Nari - since she's not in here to get embarrassed?"
"Her kindness," he said. "The way she looks at the world. It's like she's seeing just a little more than the rest of us, and it makes her feel something for people, even for those who are assholes to her." Then he looked over at Ela. "I like that you're so bold and proud of it. It's as if there's nothing at all that intimidates you. I like that Wraythe is the glue that holds everything together, and I'm willing to bet he doesn't even know it."
I found myself smiling. "Me?"
"Yeah, you," Anver said. "You're the shelter. The safe place that makes the bad things go away."
