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He shrugged at that. "Yep. I mean, no reason to hide it anymore, right? So, how did you do?"

I hooked my arm around his waist and turned him toward the main building. "Hawke, I'm pretty sure I actually passed everything. More than that, even with everything that's happened, I think I may have gotten some pretty decent grades."

"Well, I did slack off as your tutor," he admitted. "I'm going to blame The Silent for that, though." And he curled his free arm around my shoulders, giving the other a lift so Jack could take off.

"Rain-duke!" Jack cawed as he flew off.

Hawke chuckled. "I will never get used to that, you know."

"Me either," I admitted, leaning into him. "Hawke? Is it weird that this feels a little sad?"

"Which part?" he asked.

"High school is done," I said. "I don't know. It's just like this big part of my life, something I've spent so long worrying about, and now it's just over."

"Mhm, and college comes next," he reminded me.

"That's weird too," I admitted. "I was supposed to be aging out of foster care, you know?"

"When exactly is your birthday?" he asked. "Because you haven't said much about it, but a certain weapons instructor may have left us a hint or two."

I looked down. "Um..."

"It's today, isn't it?" he asked.

"Yeah," I mumbled. "But it's finals, so I figured I'd do cake with my dads at some point over the weekend. Tonight I'll spend with them, tomorrow we do graduation, and then I get to figure out what comes next, I guess."

"Summer," he said. "I mean, a few go home for the break, but more will stay here than you think."

"I'm going to be a college student," I whispered to myself, still trying to wrap my brain around that.

So Hawke stopped, turning me to face him. "You, Rain le Fae, are going to be a very magical college student. You have two adorable fathers, an asshole of a crow, and a creepy shadow."

"And the sort of friends I never thought would be possible," I told him.

Hawke shifted a little closer. "Maybe more than friends?"

"Maybe," I agreed, a little smile curling my lips.

His eyes dropped to them. "Rain, I kept waiting for you to be scared of me. I kept bracing for you to think I'm disgusting."

"A monster, right?" I asked.

He nodded. "Yeah. I know I'm not pretty like the sidhe. I'm not as powerful - "

"Aren't you?" I broke in.

He glanced away. "I'm trying to make a whole declaration here, woman."

"Oh, ok. Continue then."

Which made him laugh. "Ok, fine. I'll cut to the chase. I like you, Rain. I'm fucking..." He lifted his hand, showing me how his fingers were trembling. "I'm supposed to be a horrific monster, but I'm shit with women. I might be horrible with everyone but Torian and Wilder, if I'm honest."

"I think you and Keir work well too."

"Shit," he said around a laugh. "That boy's pretty, but my boyfriend and best friend have a crush on him, and I'm not about to ruin that. I'll flirt with him, but only because he takes it so well and it makes Tor realize it's ok."

"Oh, is that what this is?" I asked. "You're flirting with me to make sure..." I looked around us, making it clear we were alone. "Who are you trying to convince again?"

Those chestnut-and-golden eyes of his jumped over to meet mine. "Me, I think. I'm trying to convince myself the most amazing woman isn't trying to give me the brush-off."

"No brush-off," I said, stepping in to grab the front of his shirt. "But it is my birthday, so that means I get a present, right?"

He nodded, almost like he didn't know what else to do.

So I lifted my face. "Kiss me, Hawke. I think that's the gift I deserve."

"Oh, you deserve a lot more," he breathed before bending down to brush his lips across mine.

The first kiss was so soft and almost timid. The second? His hand found the back of my head. The other pulled my hips up against his, and his lips parted. Then, finally, Hawke kissed me the way I'd been hoping for.

He leaned in, making my back bend, and his tongue took control.

He kissed me hard, and I did nothing at all to scare him off.

I was starting to realize he was a wild creature - and more than I'd realized.

Timid, flighty, and aggressive when he had no other option.

Hawke was also safe, but not the way Keir was.

No, this man was a wonderful mix of all the things I'd never expected, but the best part was how he made it easy to be around him. He made me feel like I really did belong here. Like I wasn't the odd one out. More than all of that, he touched me like I was something he very much wanted to possess.

"This time," he whispered, "I'm sure I'm not messing it up."

"No," I agreed, pulling back to see his eyes had turned to slits again. "And I think I might like your eyes more than your wings."

The smile that earned me? It turned his sharp features into something beautiful. Hawke was fire and ice, or maybe steel and sunlight? I didn't know what description to use, but I knew I wanted a lot more of it.

But just as I leaned in for another kiss, my tablet vibrated. A split-second later, Hawke's chimed, his notifications no longer silenced. We paused, bracing for the worst, and then I remembered what that was.

"Grades!" I gasped, scrambling to open the screen.

"Shit," Hawke muttered, doing the same.

There, under the beautiful summer sun, we both swiped and scrolled until my eyes landed on what I wanted. First, I went to the far side, checking the important bit. Using my finger, I quickly scrolled, seeing the same thing over and over.

Pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass.

And then I moved to the grades. When I saw those, my entire body forgot to work. A, B, A, A, A, A, A.

"I did it," I breathed.

"Hmm?" he asked, looking up.

"I made a B in math and an A in everything else!"

"As and Bs," he told me, showing me his own grades.

"Hawke." I quickly put my tablet away. "Do you know what this means? We're graduating!"

"And now we need to celebrate," he said, flashing me a devious little smile as he turned me toward the school again. "I happen to know where our friends - and pretty much everyone else - will be heading."

"The cafeteria," I realized, stretching my legs a little more.

When we reached the doors, Hawke pulled them open. I lifted my arm, catching Jack so I could move him to my shoulder. Together, the three of us merged into a massive flow of bodies. People around us were laughing, and yep, everyone was going to the cafeteria.

"This is the part I've been waiting for," Hawke whispered into my ear just as we stepped through the doors. Then he stopped right inside and called out, "She's here!"

And the entire room roared back, "Happy birthday!"

Something popped, and glitter fell from the ceiling. Balloons began to waft up, colored in mostly silver and green - but there were a few iridescent ones as well. Oh, and some black too!

I was standing there with my mouth hanging open, my hands clasped before my chest, and too shocked to even get a real laugh out.

I saw a sign over the food area that said, "Happy Birthday to our Morrigan.

" It had little crows on it. There was another over by our table that read, "You made it to 18! "

"Rain!" Jack cawed, launching himself off my shoulder to weave between the rising balloons and raining sparkles. "Rain-court! Rain-queen. Rain-prince! Rain-duke! Rain-knight. Rain-courtiers!"

Then a squeal broke through all the people yelling happy birthday at me. I heard her, so I turned just in time to see Aspen rush through the crowd with her hands up and black glitter flying from her palms.

"Happy birthday to my girlfriend!" she screamed, and then slammed into me in the best way, wrapping her arms around my neck. "Kiss me, Rain. We're officially adults now."

"And that," Hawke said as I pressed my mouth to hers, "is the real present. Happy coming out day, Rain."

"Morrigan-Queen!" Jack cawed above us.

I heard it all, but I didn't care. I could finally kiss Aspen any time I wanted. I was an adult, a graduate, and most of all, I was so fucking happy.

"Best birthday ever," I whispered against Aspen's lips. "I think you outdid yourself."

"I had some help," she admitted. "More than just the court." And she turned me so we were facing everyone. "I had the fae."