Page 14 of Pointy Ears and Purple Glitter (Quirk of Fate #5)

Tynan woke the second time to an empty bed, his hand reaching across the indentation where Malik had slept.

Sunlight streamed through the tiny windows along the top of the wall, sending shafts of light over the white walls.

He stretched, wings unfurling before he remembered to tuck them away.

The mating bond hummed pleasantly in the back of his skull, a constant reminder of his connection to Malik.

“Rise and shine, lover boy.” Sparky swooped into the bedroom, landing on the headboard. “Your mountain of a mate’s been up for hours working with the human. He told me to let you sleep.”

Tynan sat up, rubbing his eyes. “The human - Ian, right? Malik mentioned him.” A flutter of anxiety replaced his peaceful morning contentment. “I have to meet him today, don’t I?”

“Unless you plan to stay in this bedroom forever.” Sparky preened his feathers. “Which, given what happened in here last night, might be your preference.”

“Oh, hush.” Tynan’s cheeks warmed as he climbed out of bed.

Since arriving on Earth, he’d managed to fit in - sort of - with the non-para population, but he knew he’d have to be doubly careful around Ian.

That meant no magic, no pointed ears, no wings suddenly appearing.

Just a normal human boyfriend visiting his mechanic partner. Simple.

If only the rest of my life had been that simple.

He stood before the small closet where he’d magically stored some of his clothes the night before.

Malik had made it plain that he’d prefer for Tynan to stay with him, and as Tynan didn’t have any attachment to his rental apartment, he’d agreed.

“What does one wear to meet their mate’s only employee who thinks any form of magic is fictional? ”

“Clothes would be a good start,” Sparky quipped. “The birthday suit might give the wrong impression.”

Tynan pulled out a soft blue sweater and dark jeans. “I need to look normal. Human normal.”

“You could try not sprinkling purple glitter everywhere.” Sparky hopped to the dresser. “That might help.”

“I haven’t done that since…” Tynan paused, realizing the glitter had indeed stopped appearing after he and Malik had completed their bond. “Well, that’s something at least.”

He dressed carefully, checking his reflection in the mirror. His pointed ears stood out prominently against his silver hair. He tried fluffing his hair over his ears, but it seemed intent on just falling over his back. “I need another hat. I can’t think what happened to my beanie.”

“Or you could glamor your ears,” Sparky suggested. “Now that you’re mated, your magic seems more controlled.”

Tynan hesitated. He’d rarely attempted glamors before - they required precise focus, something his erratic magic had struggled with. But things felt different now. The chaos inside him had settled into something more purposeful, like a river finding its proper channel.

“Worth a try, I suppose.” He closed his eyes, concentrating on the image of rounded human ears. A tingling sensation washed over him, and when he opened his eyes, his reflection showed perfectly normal ears.

“Well, would you look at that,” Sparky said, sounding impressed. “No explosions, no random furniture appearing. You’re practically boring now.”

Tynan laughed, feeling a surge of confidence. “Let’s not go that far.” He ran a hand through his silver hair, which would still draw attention, but couldn’t be helped. At least silver hair was something humans could achieve with dye.

With a final check in the mirror – clothes on, ears normal, wings tucked away, no visible glitter - Tynan headed toward the workshop with Sparky riding on his shoulder.

The sound of tools and classic rock music grew louder as he approached the door connecting Malik’s living quarters to the workshop. Tynan took a deep breath, then pushed it open.

The workshop seemed larger than he’d noticed the day before.

Sunlight streamed through the high windows and the large roller door that was fully open, illuminating the space where two men worked on separate vehicles.

Malik’s broad back was immediately recognizable as he bent over the engine of a truck.

The thinner man - Ian, presumably - was the first to notice him. He straightened up from under the hood of a red Cadillac, his face breaking into an enormous smile.

“You must be Tynan.” Ian wiped his hands on a rag and bounded over like an excited puppy. “And this must be the famous talking bird. Boss has told me all about you - well, not all, I’m guessing, but enough to know you’re special.”

Tynan tensed, wondering what exactly Malik had shared, but Ian’s open, friendly face showed nothing but genuine enthusiasm.

“It’s nice to meet you, Ian.” Tynan extended his hand, which Ian shook vigorously, leaving slight grease marks.

“Sorry about that,” Ian said, noticing the smudges. “Hazard of the job. So, is it true this bird can talk? That’s amazing. I’ve seen parrots do it, but never a raven.”

Sparky, who had been suspiciously quiet, suddenly perked up. “The name’s Sparky, lanky boy. And yes, I can talk. I can also recognize quality fruitcake at fifty paces.”

Ian’s eyes widened with delight. “That’s amazing! How’d you train him to do that?”

Tynan relaxed slightly, grateful for Ian’s assumption. “It’s a... specialized training technique not used very often.”

“Must be. I’ve never heard of anything like it before.” Ian leaned closer to Sparky. “What other tricks can you do?”

“I wouldn’t stoop to performing tricks like a circus pony.” Sparky huffed and ruffled his feathers. “I engage in sophisticated avian discourse.”

Ian laughed. “He’s got personality, too! This is fascinating.”

Malik approached, wiping his hands on a rag. His eyes met Tynan’s, and the bond between them hummed with warmth. “I see you’ve met Ian.”

Tynan nodded as he smiled.

“He’s brilliant,” Ian said, still focused on Sparky. “Where’d you find such an exotic bird?”

“He found me, actually,” Tynan said, which was technically true. “We’ve been together for about a year now.”

Malik slipped an arm around Tynan’s waist, a casual gesture that sent a pleasant shiver through him. “How’d you sleep?”

“Better than I have in...well, ever,” Tynan admitted quietly.

Ian glanced between them, grinning. “You two are adorable. Really. Makes me believe in true love and all that.”

“Don’t get sappy on us, Ian,” Malik warned, but his voice was kind as he reached into his pocket. “It’s closer to lunchtime than breakfast now, so you can go and get us some food. Just double my order so I can share with Tynan, get something for yourself, and don’t forget the fruitcake for Sparky.”

“Can Sparky come with me? Will he accompany me, I mean? He can pick out the fruitcake.”

Ian seemed excited, and as Malik didn’t seem to mind, Tynan nodded. “Sparky’s not my pet as such, he’s a free spirit, and opinionated, as you’ve noticed.” He pointed at the bird. “No telling tales about things you shouldn’t,” he warned.

“As if I would.” Sparky ruffled his feathers and then flapped over to Ian’s shoulder. “Lead on to the fruitcake, and no, we won’t forget you two while we’re gone.”

Tynan groaned as Ian grabbed some money from Malik’s hand and walked out of the giant roller doors, chatting to the raven on his shoulder. “I hope Ian’s open-minded about weirdness. There’s no telling what Sparky will tell him.”

“Ian is blessed with the creative mind of the young who see so much crap on social media, they don’t care if anything’s real or not, so long as it’s entertaining. They’ll be fine.”

Giving Tynan another squeeze, Malik went over to the Cadillac, checking something in the engine cavity, before closing the bonnet and rubbing a couple of fingerprints off it.

“The client this belongs to will be here in about five minutes. Ian and Sparky will be back in ten with lunch, so all in all, good timing. Let’s go to the office. I can see anyone coming in from there.”

Tynan followed Malik to the office, a small room with a desk against the wall, a rather battered table in the middle of the space, and four chairs.

The walls were lined with posters of vintage cars and calendars from parts suppliers.

A computer sat on the desk, looking somewhat out of place among the paper invoices and mechanical manuals.

“So what’s Ian’s story?” Tynan asked as he sat in the nearest chair. “He seems very...enthusiastic.”

“He’s a good kid. He’s been working for me about two years now. Started as an apprentice, but he’s got natural talent with engines.” Malik leaned against the desk. “He lives with his mam, helps her run a food pantry on weekends. No dad in the picture.”

Tynan nodded, appreciating how Malik had extended a protective influence over the young man.

It was yet another dimension of his mate that melted his heart - the ability for understated generosity beneath that commanding presence.

Something Tynan was definitely aware of.

He felt his cheeks flush and quickly blew out a long breath.

“You’re worried Sparky won’t behave himself?” Malik asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Just thinking about something else.” Tynan laughed.

“As for Sparky, define ‘behave.’ I doubt he’d reveal anything truly paranormal, if that’s what you’re asking.

He’s surprisingly good at reading situations.

..when he wants to be. It just depends on if he gets carried away or not.

This sort of social interaction is new for both of us. ”

“We’ll work it out.” A buzzer sounded as someone entered the workshop. Malik straightened. “That’ll be Mrs. Bloom for the caddy. Give me a minute.”

Tynan watched through the office window as Malik greeted an elegant older woman in a matching jumpsuit and pearls who seemed completely at ease in the gritty workshop.

The contrast between the refined client and the industrial setting struck Tynan as similar to his own situation with Malik - unexpected pairings that somehow worked perfectly.