Page 93 of Nine-Tenths

"That doesn't make it any less binding," Dav says, in the pedantic, soothing tone that's starting to piss me off.

I gesture between us with a sharp finger. "And what if we, I don't know, we don't work out? What if we break up? What then?"

"Then I will…" Dav swallows audibly. "I will provide you with all you need to live as independent a life as my instincts and our laws allow. A separate residence, an allowance, permission to marry if you so desire. Though I would be… terribly heartbroken."

And he's back to being small and crushed-in on himself again.

Fuck.

"I'm not breaking up with you right now, okay? To be clear." I abandon dinner and burrow my way into his arms as he curls over me, clinging.

Red wings suddenly close us off from the world. Peering up at them, the kitchen light through the membrane of the wing-leather highlights a delta of blue veins. I trace one fingertip along one, amazed.

"Tickles," Dav complains.

It's as easy as that to be kissing him, again.

"Today has been shit," I say when the kiss drifts to a natural stop. I squeeze him hard before he can tense up. "Not because I finally got to see you again, but because there's lots of complicated bullshit that neither of us want, and we're both frustrated, and hurt."

"I owe Dr. Chen a case of wine," Dav says softly.

"Har-fucking-har. Look, all I'm saying is there's lots to talk about. We're gonna get upset and shout. But that doesn't mean I don't love you, okay? I'm really fucking happy you're back, and I don't regret tokening myself or whatever, because it means I get to be with you again. And the rest of it, we'll figure out."

"You are?" Dav asks. "You mean it? Happy?"

"Right now, yeah, I am."

We lose a few more minutes to another sweet kiss. His wings loosen around us, letting in fresh air.

"Will you stay the night?" Dav asks sweetly.

"Are you kidding me? I finally got to see your place. Of course I'm spending the night."

Watching Dav undress is like watching an endangered species of wildflower bloom. I'm sure my face is filled with stupefied wonder, each inch of precious skin setting my heart juddering.

He's stripping less because we're totally about to have amazing reunion sex, and more because his wings tore up his clothes. (But also, yes, reunion sex please.) Even though they're probably beyond repair, he folds them up anyway, as if some valet is going to come and put them away in the morning.

Each inch of precious skin has my heart juddering. My fingers itch to help, but Dav has asked me to sit in the big wingback chair by the fireplace in his bedroom—thefireplace in his bedroom, I need to stress that—and wait. The fire is banked, in deference to the warm August evening, and the crackling is the only sound as Dav disrobes.

It's not a show. It's methodical, the actions of a man used to wearing much more complicated clothing in a bygone era. Clothing that needed to be cared for in a certain way. It'sbeautiful and frustrating all at once. I want totouch,but he's just out of range, the smug bastard. So instead I squeeze my own knees tightly.

No underwear, I realize, when he's finally backlit by the glow of the fireplace, nude and comfortable in his human skin. Which,duh, of course not. He couldn't have done the tail thing if he'd had any gitch on.

With the world dark outside of his window, the ember-red firelight gilds the edges of him. He's incandescent. I want desperately to kiss him, and then it hits me again that he'srighthere. He's back. He's real.

I can do just that.

"Please." I lean forward, and Dav obligingly drops to his knees close enough for me to drape my arms over his shoulders, and open my mouth to him. I'm perfectly happy to be plundered, held close and treasured.

"I want you," Dav says, with all the heat and honesty of a confession.

"You can have me," I promise.

It's true. Whatever Dav wants, he can have.

We'll work out the details later.

I slide my hands down to cup his shoulder blades and…What the fuck is that?