Breath (Scales 'n' Spells 2)

Tori chewed on his lip for a second before he finally waved Baldewin over to the kiosk with him. The dragon silently accompanied him, one eyebrow raising in question above his glasses. Why the hell did he find that so sexy? But then, there were too many things Baldewin did that he found sexy.

As they reached the kiosk, Tori turned him around so that his back was to the display of little touristy items. “You are not allowed to turn around.”

“But—”

“If I spot Jaeggi or anything remotely evil, I promise I’ll shout and you can attack,” Tori quickly countered.

Baldewin offered a little sigh but still nodded.

With an excited grin, he hurried over to the display of keychains, magnets, snow globes, and other kitschy things that were sold to thousands of tourists every day. Tori still had some of the five hundred euros Baldewin had bribed him with days ago. The dragon had been handling all the expenses on this trip, but Tori wanted to get him a little something to remind him of their day together.

He finally settled on a keychain that held a brass figure of Papa Dwarf. The cute little figure was the perfect thing to mark their day. He paid the old woman running the kiosk and then hurried over to Baldewin before his own nerves and doubts could get the better of him.

“Close your eyes and hold out your hand,” Tori instructed.

Smiling, Baldewin immediately followed his orders. With a tremble in his fingers, Tori placed the figure in Baldewin’s large open palm and stepped back, biting his lower lip.

Baldewin open his eyes, and they dropped to the figure. His mouth fell open and he remained silent for a moment. It was too much for Tori so he started talking just to fill the silence.

“I just wanted to give you something to say thank you for the perfect day. Also, to remind you of our dwarf hunting trip. Nothing big.”

Baldewin’s free hand drifted up to the center of his chest, where he yet again touched the amulet under his shirt. He’d watched Baldewin do that dozens of times during the day. Almost every time that Tori smiled at him.

“It’s perfect,” Baldewin whispered in a rough voice. “I’ll cherish it always.”

“It’s just a keychain. I—” Tori didn’t get the chance to finish his excuse. Baldewin grabbed him and pulled him in close before capturing his mouth in a sweet, hungry kiss. Tori didn’t hesitate. The dragon had been careful all day to give Tori space. After a lifetime of homophobia, he wasn’t entirely comfortable with public displays of affection, but this, he needed. He couldn’t believe how much he’d missed Baldewin’s touch, but now that he was wrapped in his strong arms, tongues tangling together, he never wanted to let the man go.

“Wooooooo!”

They parted on a chuckle. There was no missing Cassie’s voice as it echoed across the square. Tori pulled away from Baldewin enough to look over his shoulder to find Cassie, Sasha, and Warin walking toward them. Cassie was carrying a few bags, proving that they might have also gotten distracted on their hunt and completed a little shopping.

Their alone time might be over, but Tori was pretty sure he’d just had the best day of his life. If only he could keep Baldewin forever.

It was hard to tell who was more of a zombie—Tori or Cassie. They were both shuffling, neither of their eyes were properly opened, and they seemed only capable of talking in grunts. Tori stumbled into her outside of his room’s door, both of them nearly colliding with each other and somehow missing.

In an eloquent grunt, she managed, “Coffee.”

“Coffee,” he agreed wholeheartedly. God, why were they up so early?

Something about a schedule whispered in the back of his brain. A train? Were they riding a train today?

Cassie was already shuffling for the elevator, and he blindly followed her without questioning. She was on a grand quest for coffee. He would follow wherever she led, though he did briefly pause to wonder if they should drag one of the dragons after them. The only problem was that Baldewin and Warin were in the two showers while Sasha was still face down in a pillow snoring. It would only take a minute. They’d be fine for a minute on their own.

They made it down to the main floor of the hotel, to the wide, open space of the main lobby, before his nose caught the scent of freshly brewed coffee. He followed it, scenting the air, and somehow magically ended up in the line of people also needing their magic beans.

The barista, well accustomed to undercaffeinated people grunting orders at her, whipped up his and Cassie’s in a minute before handing it over. Tori drank it straight, inhaling half the cup before the taste even penetrated. Only then did he feel his brain cells spark to life, the wheels and cogs finally starting to spin.