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“Absolutely everything.” Hawk winked for him, then tore into a sandwich. He seemed ravenous.

Cosmo got that actually. His sammy and smoothie were gone so fast that he blinked at the empty glass in his hand. Huh.

He set the glass aside and took up another sandwich piece. “These are yummy.” He peered at it to make sure it wasn’t tuna.

“They are. I wish there were chips. I should have thought of chips.”

He laughed at Hawk’s lament. “I could ask Cullen to bring them up.”

“Mmm. No. Not just now. I want you all to myself for just a bit longer.”

“To snuggle but nothing else, right?” He wasn’t up to anything else. In fact, he was starting to get sleepy again halfway through this sandwich.

“Yes. You look tired, love.” Hawk reached out to stroke his cheek.

“I am, kinda. Is that weird?”

“No. I think we should curl up together. If I do not wish to sleep, I will read.”

“Oh, I like that.”

He did too. He loved the idea of just snuggling up and resting. He wasn’t hiding. Wasn’t worried or nesting or… anything.

He was just happy.

It worked for him.

He liked it a lot. Cosmo yawned, putting the plate of sandwiches on the little table that sat far enough away that he wouldn’t smell tuna. It was a reach, but he didn’t want it on the bedside table.

Hawk reeled him back in when he leaned too far.

Chapter

Sixteen

Hawk watched Cosmo dance around the kitchen with Corbin, the waltz getting to the point where it needed to sweep out to the dining room, or cookies were going to start flying…

There was something different about him. Something Hawk couldn’t put a finger on. A glow, he thought. It seemed to light his Rose from within, making his pink skin shine, making his eyes light up.

Who knew? Hawk felt as though he was glowing half the time now. He was polished and loved and admired on a regular basis. His scales gleamed. And he was… present. Every day.

He wasn’t just slogging through time, waiting for sleep to take him again so he could hide. He had pride in his life again.

He was a guardian of at least three realms. Maybe more.

Cullen plopped down next to him. “Not dancing?”

“No, they wanted to dance together. What about you?”

“Not a dancer. I like to sing though. I’m more of an entertainer.” Cullen clapped his hands together and flower petals sprayed everywhere. “It’s a gift.”

“It’s a pretty cool gift.” Cullen was getting really good at making complicated shapes, not just fast-flying things. Although you did have to watch the little dragon. When they were playing games, he could invent new pieces and hold them just long enough for him to convince them they were doing something wrong. “How’s your house going?”

“Good. I’ve decided to create it like a giant escape room where I know all the answers to all the riddles.”

“Okay, that’s fair.” A little strange, but he knew he had a sort of hidden super hoard room. So he really couldn’t judge.

“Do you think that Cosmo’s pregnant?”