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on the way back. He told himself that he was just thinking of Dane’s sensitive senses and trying to spare
Dane another lousy experience, and that he wasn’t trying to squeeze another tiny moment or two of
intimacy out of the time they had left.
“We should both eat.” Dane squeezed Lindsay’s small hand in his big one. “You can’t live on air.
Pick where you want to eat, and we’ll have a meal.”
“I couldn’t talk Ezqel into letting me trade up for that, either,” Lindsay murmured, flashing Dane a
smile. He looked around at the fast food kiosks and more traditional restaurants along the hall to the
terminal. “There, maybe?” He pointed to a restaurant with neon in the windows and dim lights inside. The
illusion of privacy was appealing.
“Whatever you want.” Dane steered them that way and held the door for Lindsay. “As long as you
eat.”
“Anything to keep me from having to eat the stuff they served on the plane last time.” Lindsay held
up two fingers to the maitre d’ and the man led them to a table, where Dane finally let go of Lindsay’s hand so he could pull out a chair for Lindsay.
Tatterdemalion
Lindsay soaked up the closeness as he skimmed the laminated menu. Thank goodness for the ubiquity
of English in international airports. He found something that seemed edible and spent the rest of his time
watching Dane.
Dane put the menu aside. “What’re you looking at?”
Lindsay rolled his eyes. “Same thing everyone else in the airport is looking at.”
Dane frowned more, but didn’t say anything. He just tapped Lindsay’s menu. “Know what you’re
eating?”
“Chicken Oscar. Would you prefer it if I pretended that I haven’t noticed the change? You look
different, but I still like it. I’m just…getting used to it.”
“You don’t have to pretend anything.” Dane seemed disgruntled, regardless. He wasn’t comfortable
and it showed, which wasn’t normal for him.
“Is it… What’s wrong?” Lindsay frowned. He hadn’t meant to upset Dane.
“Nothing’s wrong. I look normal. It is what it is.” Dane leaned back and gestured for the waiter to
return.
Lindsay kept frowning. There were four chairs at the table, but he and Dane were seated opposite each
other. It was too far away, Lindsay decided, so he got up and shifted over to sit in one of the chairs closer to Dane. “You are so full of shit,” he muttered, as the waiter walked up to their table.
Dane blinked at Lindsay before giving the waiter his attention. He ordered for them both and turned
back to Lindsay. “What?”
“You’ve gotten grumpy every time I’ve looked at you since Ezqel did his thing,” Lindsay said quietly.
He’d noticed, every time. How could he not? “So you can’t really expect me to believe you when you say
nothing’s wrong. I’ll get used to the change, but…if you don’t like it, why don’t you shift back to the way you were before?”
“I will when I don’t have to be around other people,” Dane said flatly. “It’s better to look human than
not. Drawing attention isn’t good for you, anyway.”
“You got by before.” Lindsay reached out, finding Dane’s big hand and rubbing his cold little fingers
over it.
“Until you came along, I ‘got by’ by way of not being in the company of people.” Dane turned his
hand palm up for Lindsay’s touch. “For a long time. Still not fond of it.”
“We’re almost back to New York, and then you can go back to not being in the company of people.”
That, Lindsay imagined, was probably the answer to his question of whether Dane would still want him
around when they got home.
“Enough of that.” Dane put his arm around Lindsay and pulled him close, snorting irritably like a
disgruntled bear.
Oh. Lindsay relaxed, rubbing his cheek against Dane’s.
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Dane butted his nose against Lindsay’s temple and his ear, purring softly. His cheek against Lindsay’s
was uncharacteristically smooth, but as warm as ever. Lindsay could hear Dane’s purrs—he could feel
them—and they made him smile.
“You need to eat,” Dane murmured. “You’re too small, little bu
ribs.
Lindsay turned his head to see the waiter heading their way with a basket of baguettes. “I’ll eat,” he
murmured, wriggling to sit down in the chair again without tumbling over.
Dane reached over to pet him. He always managed to make it feel perfectly normal. “Good. Cyrus
might forgive me if you come back with a few pounds on you.”
“Is he really going to be angry with you?” Lindsay asked, once the waiter walked away again. He
reached out to tear off a small piece of the bread and picked at it.
“Yes.” Dane took a drink of his water. “He already is. It’s nothing new. When you get old like us,
things build up.” He didn’t look terribly upset, but he wasn’t happy either.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause trouble.”
“Eat your bread.” Dane picked a piece up and held it out for Lindsay to eat. “You are not the trouble here. What’s between Cyrus and me isn’t your problem.”
Lindsay ate the bite of bread and sighed. “I just don’t want…”
“Don’t want what?” Dane offered up another piece, but he was obviously waiting for Lindsay’s reply.
“I don’t want you to stop letting me be near you.” Lindsay didn’t want to cause trouble, he didn’t
want Cyrus to be angry, and he didn’t want to lose the little piece of comfort and happiness he’d found with Dane.
“That won’t happen,” Dane said simply. “Cyrus and I have been angry at each other about things
since long before the last time I looked this way.” Dane put his fingers under Lindsay’s chin, making
Lindsay look at him. “Cyrus gave you to me. He can’t take you back. There are rules about these things,
older than any of us. What’s between you and me is something else. What I did to keep Jonas from having
you, I didn’t do for Cyrus.”
Dane had died to keep Jonas from having him. Lindsay met Dane’s eyes, stu
“Oh,” he whispered, hope creeping in. Cyrus couldn’t take him away from Dane. There were rules.
“Good.”
“Eat now,” Dane said gently. He picked up the bread he’d dropped on Lindsay’s plate and offered it
up again. “Everything’s going to be all right.”
Lindsay nodded, taking the bite from Dane’s fingers and picking up one for himself. He’d shredded
the piece of bread without realizing, but at least now it was in bite-sized pieces.
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Tatterdemalion
After a moment, Dane leaned over and pressed a kiss to Lindsay’s temple. It was a small gesture, but
surprisingly intimate. Lindsay couldn’t help smiling. Dane didn’t say anything else, but he petted Lindsay’s thigh under the table, a smile touching the corners of his mouth.
When their meals arrived, Lindsay ate carefully and slowly, and he sank back to curl up in his chair,
watching the restaurant staff bustle about.
“Am I going to have to carry you onto the plane?” Dane teased. He’d cleaned his plate and, without
asking, tugged Lindsay’s over to finish the last of what was there. It took a lot to fuel his body.
“Airports are exhausting,” Lindsay murmured. “But I can wait until I’m on the plane to sleep.”
“Taniel put you through your paces this morning,” Dane reminded him, gesturing for the waiter to
bring their check. “That’ll wear you out, too.” Dane paid in cash, then stood and offered Lindsay his hand.
“Come on. Ten hours in a tin can awaits.”
Lindsay slipped his hand into Dane’s and uncurled himself from the way he’d been sitting in his chair,